Christmas and New Year's in Maui

Christmas in Maui can mean a concert, a special dinner or a quiet morning beside the beach. For New Year's Eve in Maui, decide whether you want a ticketed celebration, a restaurant booking or an evening close to your condo. Check the date and admission rules before planning around an event.

This guide was checked on October 17, 2026 for the holiday season leading into 2027. Confirmed dates are separated from recurring traditions whose current arrangements still need checking. A photograph or video from a previous year is not a current event listing.

Maui holiday events with published 2026 dates

Fairmont Kea Lani tree lighting: November 27

Fairmont Kea Lani's 2026 tree-lighting listing gives Friday, November 27, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Palm Court. The published programme includes Hawaiian music and hula, with complimentary admission and some food and beverage purchases available separately.

This is in Wailea, south of Kihei. Check the venue's parking and access instructions before setting out, and confirm the listing again closer to the date. A free event does not necessarily include free parking or every refreshment.

Maui Pops Holiday Pops: December 6

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center lists Holiday Pops for Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 3 p.m. in Castle Theater. The programme features vocalist Joan Ellison with the Maui Pops Orchestra.

It is a ticketed concert in Kahului. Choose seats through the official box office and check any age or access requirements. Leave time for the drive and arrival rather than treating a Kahului performance as a short walk from an HPH condo.

Check the year on Santa and resort-event listings

Santa arriving by outrigger canoe is a familiar part of some Maui resort holiday programmes. However, the Fairmont festive page checked for this guide still specifies December 24, 2025 for Santa's arrival at Polo Beach. That is a previous year's event, not confirmation of a December 2026 time.

Grand Wailea's current festive programme lists a Christmas Eve outrigger arrival at Wailea Beach and other holiday activities. Contact the resort for the date, timing and participation arrangements you need before making a special trip.

Read each event's admission note. Resort calendars can mix public events, paid experiences and activities restricted to registered hotel guests. Staying at HPH does not include entry to another property's guest-only programme.

Plan Christmas dinner in Maui

Choose dinner before filling the rest of Christmas Day. A restaurant may offer a fixed holiday menu instead of its usual service. Ask about the final price, dietary requirements, children's options and cancellation terms when making a reservation.

A condo kitchen gives you another option. Buy the groceries you need before relying on a shop's holiday opening hours, and check the equipment in your unit. Keep the meal manageable so the person cooking can enjoy the day too.

For everyday dining ideas, use our restaurants near The Hale Pau Hana guide. Confirm Christmas Eve and Christmas Day service directly with the restaurant; regular hours do not establish holiday hours.

New Year's Eve in Maui: fireworks and celebrations

Grand Wailea's festive page lists a December 31 midnight fireworks display over Wailea Beach, together with other New Year's activities. Check the programme for your year, weather-related changes and access arrangements before building the evening around it.

The same page distinguishes guest-only movie showings from activities open to the public, including an age-restricted after-hours event. Do not assume a view of the fireworks grants access to the hotel lawn, pool, parking or a private party.

Plan a legal place to park and a way to get home before the evening begins. Check beach and park access hours rather than assuming every public beach is open for midnight viewing. Avoid roadside viewing or entering private grounds without permission.

Thinking about a holiday cruise?

Confirm that a specific sailing operates on your date. Check the departure harbor, check-in time, age requirements and what is included in the fare. A dinner cruise and a midnight fireworks cruise may have very different schedules.

Ask the operator how it handles poor weather or a cancelled fireworks display. Buy the cruise for the experience actually offered, rather than assuming any sailing described as a holiday outing includes a view of a particular event.

Make room for quieter holiday plans

A stay at HPH can include breakfast in the condo, time on the lawn and a short visit to Kamaole Beach II. Choose water activities after checking conditions with a lifeguard. No holiday date guarantees calm water or clear skies.

Winter also overlaps with the broader humpback season. Our whale-watching guide explains the usual timing and viewing options. A wildlife outing should remain flexible, especially when it falls between fixed dinner or concert bookings.

For families, the Kihei family-stay guide covers meals, sleeping arrangements and shorter outings. Leave some days open rather than making every part of the holiday depend on a timed reservation.

A look back at an earlier New Year

The video below was included in the original article and is labelled New Year's 2023. It is a record of an earlier celebration, not evidence of the 2026–27 schedule.

Book the stay around the plans that matter

Start with the accommodation dates and the few events you particularly want to attend. Compare the full booking total and cancellation conditions before paying. Our reservation policies explain HPH's arrangements.

Browse our individual condos or check direct availability. The reservations team can help with questions about your stay; event tickets and admission arrangements remain with the venue.