Maui has eleven lūʻau operating right now. The main choice is between a traditional evening of Hawaiian history and hula and a big-production show that ends with a fire-knife dance.
Old Lāhainā gets the most praise for tradition but has no fire-knife dance; most of the resort shows are built around one. After that it comes down to where you’re staying, since a Wailea base and a Kāʻanapali base each put different luau within a short drive. Prices run from about $170 to over $360 a head.
Table of contents
Compare all 11 luau on a map
Start with the map. It pins all eleven operating luau by location, so you can see which ones sit near where you’re staying, and the table lines them up by price, availability, and who each one suits best.
| Name | Price* | Best for | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Gilligan's Island Luau (Details ↓) | $168.54 | Cheapest, central Kīhei | Sun–Fri |
| 2Myths of Maui (Details ↓) | $186.41 | Cheapest beachfront, longest-running | Nightly |
| 3Maui Nui Lūʻau at Black Rock (Details ↓) | $198 | Iconic Black Rock setting | Mon, Wed, Fri |
| 4Drums of the Pacific Lūʻau (Details ↓) | $202 | Biggest, most polished show | Sun, Tue, Thu–Sat |
| 5Huakaʻi Lūʻau (Details ↓) | $203.26 | Intimate, newer show | Tuesdays |
| 6Wailele Lūʻau (Details ↓) | $210 | Best fire-knife performance | Tue, Thu, Fri |
| 7Te Au Moana (Details ↓) | $225 | Wailea families, fire dance | Mon, Thu–Sat |
| 8Old Lāhainā Lūʻau (Details ↓) | $230 | Most traditional, best-reviewed | Nightly |
| 9Tales of the Kapa Lūʻau (Details ↓) | $263.94 | Best food, young families | Tue, Fri |
| 10Feast at Mōkapu (Details ↓) | $283 | Plated, upscale night out | Sun, Tue, Thu |
| 11Lūʻau at Grand Wailea (Details ↓) | $300 | Upscale Wailea splurge | Mon, Tue, Thu–Sat |
| * Standard adult ticket, our estimate before tax and service; children, VIP, and premium tiers differ. See each show for current pricing. | |||
What is the best lūʻau on Maui?
There is no single best luau, but a few stand out by category. Old Lāhainā is the most traditional and the best-reviewed, with no fire-knife dance. Tales of the Kapa Moe at the Ritz-Carlton draws the most praise for food. Wailele has the fire-knife performance reviewers name most often. For the lowest price, Gilligan’s in Kīhei, then Myths in Kāʻanapali.
Q: What is the most authentic lūʻau on Maui?
The Old Lāhainā Lūʻau is the most traditional pick. It is built around Hawaiian history, hula, and chant, serves family-style rather than a buffet, and has no fire-knife finale. It also draws the most reviews and the highest ratings on Maui.
Q: Which Maui lūʻau serves the best food?
Reviewers most often name Tales of the Kapa Moe at the Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua, with the Wailea shows, Grand Wailea and Feast at Mōkapu, close behind. Feast at Mōkapu is the only Maui luau that plates each course rather than running a buffet or family-style platters.
Q: What is the best lūʻau on Maui for families?
Tales of the Kapa Moe has a keiki (children’s) menu and roomier seating, which is why families single it out. On a budget, Gilligan’s in Kīhei is the cheapest show on the island. Most Maui luau are all ages and include fire-knife dancing.
Q: Which Maui lūʻau is the best value?
Gilligan’s in Kīhei is the lowest-priced luau on Maui, held at a golf club rather than on a beach. Myths of Maui in Kāʻanapali is the cheapest beachfront show in West Maui. Both come in well under the Wailea resort shows.
Q: Which Maui lūʻau has the best fire-knife dance?
Reviewers name Wailele at the Westin in Kāʻanapali most often for its fire-knife performance. Drums of the Pacific at the Hyatt also runs one of the stronger fire dances in West Maui. Old Lāhainā has no fire-knife dance at all.
Q: Which Maui lūʻau has the best setting?
Maui Nui Lūʻau at the Sheraton sits on Black Rock in Kāʻanapali, where the resort lights torches and sends a diver off the cliff at sunset. Old Lāhainā is oceanfront on Front Street. The Wailea resort shows have the most polished grounds.
Choosing a luau
Start with the fire dance. Old Lāhainā is the most traditional and the best-reviewed on Maui, built around Hawaiian history, hula, and family-style dining, but it has no fire-knife performance and runs at a slower pace, so young kids can lose interest. For a fire-knife finale, look at Drums of the Pacific at the Hyatt, Te Au Moana in Wailea, or Wailele at the Westin.
Then pick by where you are staying. Wailea and South Maui have Grand Wailea, Feast at Mōkapu, and Te Au Moana within a short drive. Kīhei has Gilligan’s. Kāʻanapali and West Maui have Drums, Wailele, Maui Nui at Black Rock, Myths of Maui, and Huakaʻi, and Kapalua has the Ritz. The map pins each one, so you can match a show to your hotel.
After location, compare on food and budget. Reviewers most often name the Ritz (Tales of the Kapa Moe) for food, and it also has the kids’ menu and roomier seating families ask about. For a splurge in a resort setting, Grand Wailea and Feast at Mōkapu sit at the top of the price range. For the lowest price, Gilligan’s in Kīhei and Myths of Maui in Kāʻanapali come in well under the Wailea shows: Myths runs a dated, folding-chair setup, and Gilligan’s draws mixed reviews on food and seating.
Before you book, check the details that vary from show to show, and know what a Maui lūʻau evening actually looks like.
Things to check before you book
A few things vary enough from show to show to check before you pay.
Seating tiers: VIP and premium tickets usually buy earlier seating, a lei greeting, or included photos, not always your own table. Read what each upgrade includes before paying for it.
Check-in and sun: Some shows start check-in well before the meal, and at a few the wait is outdoors. Premium tables at the beach shows can sit in full afternoon sun.
Parking: Some resorts charge for parking, some include valet, and some run a paid shuttle. A few, like the Sheraton and the Wailea Beach Marriott, have free self-parking. Check the ticket details.
Booking ahead: The popular shows sell out, Old Lāhainā above all. Book well ahead or join the waitlist.
What to expect from a Maui lūʻau
A Maui lūʻau is a family-friendly evening out, usually two to three hours long.
The evening: Doors usually open about an hour before the buffet, so you can arrive early for a drink. The grounds have casual cultural demonstrations, crafts, and games, mostly for kids. You get about 45 minutes to an hour at the buffet before the show, which runs an hour to an hour and a half.
The crowd: Most shows seat more than 100 people. Unless you buy a private table through a VIP package, you will sit at a shared table with other guests.
The cost: Expect to pay more than $100 a person. Child tickets usually run about three-quarters of the adult price.
The meal: The food draws on Hawaiian staples like kalua pork and poi. Most lūʻaus include a ceremonial imu, or underground oven, once the preferred cooking method for Native Hawaiians and other Polynesian cultures. Buffets are the norm at Maui Nui, Drums, Myths, and Gilligan’s; Old Lāhainā, Te Au Moana, and Wailele serve family-style platters; the Ritz (Tales) and Feast at Mōkapu plate each course.
The 11 Maui luau, one by one
Below are the eleven shows, ordered from Wailea around the coast to Kapalua. Each note says who it suits best.
Lūʻau at Grand Wailea
Best for: an upscale Wailea splurge, with a fire-knife finale and resort grounds steps from the beach.
The Lūʻau at Grand Wailea is a special-occasion night in Wailea, a resort setting steps from the beach with a fire-knife finale reviewers praise. It suits an anniversary or honeymoon more than a casual family outing. Food is the most common complaint in its reviews, and several regulars describe it as a once-is-enough evening.
When? Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
Where? Grand Wailea Resort, Wailea.
Shuttle available? No.
Imu ceremony at the Grand Wailea Luau. Image credit: Daisy Images, source.
The Lūʻau at Grand Wailea
A grand-resort luau on the Grand Wailea lawn above Wailea Beach, with the show timed to sunset. Dinner is brought to your own table family-style, not served from a buffet line.
from:
$300
What is a suggested tour?Our suggested tours are hand-picked tours that receive consistent good reviews, give back to the community, and work hard to minimize their impact on the environment. Read more about these tours on our website.Te Au Moana
Best for: Wailea families who want a fire dance, with free self-parking.
Te Au Moana translates to “the ocean tide,” and the show centers on the many Polynesian cultures that crossed the Pacific. On the grounds of the Wailea Beach Marriott, it is the convenient South Maui pick for families who still want a fire dance: a Tihati production, all ages, with one seating tier, ohana style (shared family tables), so everyone is effectively at a VIP table. Reviews skew to repeat family visits. Premium tables can sit in full sun, and late in the show the setting sun can be right in your eyes.
When? Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
Where? Wailea Beach Marriott Resort.
Shuttle available? No.
Price: adults from about $225.
Website: Te Au Moana.
Performance at the Te Au Moana Luau. Image credit: Kent Bockingham, source.
Feast at Mōkapu
Best for: a plated, upscale adults’ night out; it is the only Maui luau that plates each course.
The Feast at Mōkapu is the most upscale, and the most expensive, lūʻau on Maui, at the Andaz in Wailea. Standard seating includes valet parking, an open bar, a commemorative photo, and a multi-course plated meal built on local ingredients rather than a buffet line. Reviews on the food split: some call it the best plated meal at any Maui lūʻau, others find it cold or overpriced at this tier. Its TripAdvisor rating is the second-highest on Maui after Old Lāhainā.
When? Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays.
Where? Andaz Maui Resort.
Shuttle available? No.
Price: adults from about $285, up to about $365 for VIP, the highest on the island.
Website: Feast at Mōkapu.
Gilligan’s Island Luau
Best for: the cheapest show on Maui, and central in Kīhei.
Gilligan’s Island Luau is the lowest-priced lūʻau on Maui, held at the Maui Nui Golf Club in Kīhei rather than on a beach, with a golf-course sunset instead of an ocean one. It is small and central, a short drive for anyone staying in Kīhei or central Maui. Its TripAdvisor score is strong, but the reviews we read on Reddit run the other way: average food, tightly packed tables, and a short fire dance.
When? Sunday to Friday. 5:00pm start October to February, 5:30pm March to September.
Where? Maui Nui Golf Club, 470 Lipoa Parkway, Kīhei.
Shuttle available? No.
Gilligan’s Island Luau
The cheapest luau on Maui, on the golf-course patio at Maui Nui in Kīhei. It is smaller and quieter than the big resort shows, with a Hawaiian buffet and open bar, though the sunset is over the fairway, not the ocean.
from:
$169
What is a suggested tour?Our suggested tours are hand-picked tours that receive consistent good reviews, give back to the community, and work hard to minimize their impact on the environment. Read more about these tours on our website.Old Lāhainā Lūʻau
Best for: the most traditional and best-reviewed night on Maui, with no fire dance.
The Old Lāhainā Lūʻau is the most traditional and the best-reviewed lūʻau on Maui, oceanfront on Front Street in Lāhainā. It traces Hawaiian history through hula and chant, serves family-style rather than buffet, and the food draws steady praise. There is no fire-knife dance, and the pace is slower, which some families with young kids find long. It sells out, so book early or join the waitlist. Most seating is at private tables, with a limited number of traditional cushion seats at low tables.
When? Nightly (reported).
Where? Front Street, Lāhainā.
Shuttle available? No.
Price: adults about $230.
Website: Old Lāhainā Lūʻau.
Drums of the Pacific Lūʻau
Best for: the biggest, most polished production in West Maui.
Drums of the Pacific is the largest lūʻau in Kāʻanapali, on the beach at the Hyatt Regency, built around spectacle: a full run through Polynesian dances and one of the stronger fire-knife performances on the island. It is a reliable pick when you want a fire dance rather than Old Lāhainā’s slower, no-fire evening. The recurring complaints are that most tables are sold as VIP without adding much, and that the food is average for the price.
When? Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
Where? Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa.
Shuttle available? Yes, for a fee.
Price: adults from about $200, VIP to about $250.
Booking website: Drums of the Pacific.
Fire eating performance at the Drums of the Pacific Luau. Image credit: Ernesto Andrade, source.
Huakaʻi Lūʻau
Best for: an intimate, newer show, if your trip includes a Tuesday.
Huakaʻi Lūʻau is a newer, smaller show on the ocean-view lawn at the Kāʻanapali Beach Club, and it runs one night a week, on Tuesdays. It is smaller than the big resort productions, with a live band and a more personal feel. Seating is assigned, so your sightlines depend on the table you draw, and the space can feel tight. If Tuesday does not fit your trip, this one is out.
When? Tuesdays only.
Where? Kāʻanapali Beach Club (Hilton Grand Vacations), Kāʻanapali.
Shuttle available? No.
Huakaʻi Lūʻau: Journey Through Polynesia
A small, newer luau on a Kāʻanapali oceanfront lawn, run only on Tuesday evenings with the show timed to sunset. You sit close to the performers.
from:
$203
What is a suggested tour?Our suggested tours are hand-picked tours that receive consistent good reviews, give back to the community, and work hard to minimize their impact on the environment. Read more about these tours on our website.Myths of Maui
Best for: the cheapest beachfront show in West Maui, and the longest-running on the island.
Myths of Maui is Maui’s longest-running lūʻau, on the beach at the Royal Lāhainā in Kāʻanapali, with dance from Hawaiʻi, Tonga, Aotearoa, and Tahiti. It is one of the lower-priced beachfront shows in West Maui, with views toward Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi, and the public beach out front means you can catch some of it over the hedge for free. Expect folding chairs at long tables, set back from the water, with reviews describing the grounds as dated.
When? Nightly.
Where? Royal Lāhainā Resort.
Shuttle available? No.
Myths of Maui Lūʻau
Maui's longest-running luau, on the beachfront lawn at the Royal Lahaina on Kāʻanapali. It is one of the cheaper West Maui shows, with an open bar, a buffet, and a fire-knife finale.
from:
$186
What is a suggested tour?Our suggested tours are hand-picked tours that receive consistent good reviews, give back to the community, and work hard to minimize their impact on the environment. Read more about these tours on our website.Wailele Lūʻau
Best for: the fire-knife performance reviewers name most often.
Wailele Lūʻau runs at the Westin in Kāʻanapali. The fire-knife is the part reviewers name again and again, the emcee keeps the energy up, and there is a separate buffet for the kids. Seating is ohana style, so be ready to share a table. The common gripes are that the food is just ok for the price and that check-in can run long.
When? Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. Schedule varies by season.
Where? Westin Maui Resort & Spa in Kāʻanapali.
Shuttle available? Yes.
Price: adults from about $210, premium to about $270.
Website: Wailele Lūʻau.
Fire dancing at the Wailele Luau. Image from the Wailele Luau website.
Maui Nui Lūʻau at Black Rock
Best for: the Black Rock setting and the imu ceremony.
Maui Nui Lūʻau runs at the Sheraton on Black Rock in Kāʻanapali, one of the few true buffet lūʻau on Maui, with an imu (underground oven) ceremony and a fresh lei on arrival. It is all ages, with free self-parking. Check-in can mean a long wait in the sun, and the food is average. Each night at sunset the Sheraton also lights the torches and sends a diver off Black Rock, open to anyone on the beach and separate from the ticketed lūʻau.
When? Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
Where? The Sheraton Maui Resort at Black Rock.
Shuttle available? No.
Price: adults from about $200, VIP about $230.
Website: Maui Nui Lūʻau at Black Rock.
The Maui Nui Luau on the beach at Black Rock. Image from the Maui Nui Luau website.
Tales of the Kapa Lūʻau
Best for: the best food on Maui, and young families.
Tales of the Kapa Moe debuted in 2023 at the Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua, a short drive north of Kāʻanapali, and reviewers repeatedly call it the best lūʻau food on Maui. Beyond the usual Polynesian storytelling it adds an aerial performance and a fire-knife dance, and it is the show families single out for young kids, thanks to a solid keiki menu and roomier seating than the older beachfront productions. Because it is the newest of the group, its review count is still small.
When? Tuesday, Friday.
Where? Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua.
Shuttle available? No.
Part of the performance at the Tales of the Kapa Moe luau. Image: the Tales of the Kapa Moe luau website.
Tales of the Kapa Moe Lūʻau (Ritz-Carlton Maui)
The best food of any luau on Maui, at the Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua. It has the roomiest seating and the strongest kids' menu of the Maui luaus, and it costs more than most of them.
from:
$264
What is a suggested tour?Our suggested tours are hand-picked tours that receive consistent good reviews, give back to the community, and work hard to minimize their impact on the environment. Read more about these tours on our website.Luau shows no longer operating
Three former Maui favorites still show up in older lists and searches, so it helps to know they are gone. None is running now:
- Feast at Lele, closed after the 2023 Lāhainā fire.
- South Maui Garden, closed in 2026.
- Legends of the Pacific, not currently selling tickets.
Free hula, no ticket
You do not need a ticket to see hula on Maui.
- The Shops at Wailea: a free Polynesian show on Tuesday evenings, 5:30 to 6:30pm, outdoors at the open-air center.
- Sheraton Maui, Black Rock: torch lighting and a cliff diver off Black Rock at sunset most nights, free from the beach, plus a free fire-knife performance on Sunday evenings.
- Nāpili Kai Beach Resort: a low-cost keiki hula show; check current days and price on its site.
Our Maui budget guide has more free and cheap things to do on the island.
Luau on Kauaʻi, the Big Island, and Oʻahu
Visiting other islands too? Our guides cover the luau there, with picks for each: Lūʻau shows on the Big Island, Kauaʻi lūʻau shows, and Lūʻau shows on Oʻahu.