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The Holo Holo Music Festival moves from Northern California to Las Vegas this year.
Monday, May 1, 2023 | 2 a.m.
There’s a reason Las Vegas is known as the Ninth Island — Hawaiians love to visit this desert oasis, so much that many island visitors end up making Vegas their home. Now the city has a music festival to reflect its Hawaiian inclinations.
The Holo Holo Music Festival lands at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center this week on May 6 and 7, with an artist lineup that includes Kolohe Kai, J Boog, Steel Pulse, Collie Buddz, Katchafire, Sammy Johnson, Kapena, Paula Fuga and many more. Tickets are available starting at $100 for a one-day pass at holoholofestival.com, and the fun begins at 1 p.m. both days.
Dan Sheehan of Good Vibez promotions, the company behind the festival that made its debut in Stanford, California last year, said it’s only natural to put Holo Holo in Las Vegas, given its large population of Asian and Pacific Islanders and its entertainment event infrastructure.
“I grew up in Hawaii, and I remember seeing the ad campaigns geared toward tourism from Hawaii to Vegas. Over the last 20 to 30 years as Las Vegas was growing, a lot of people moved there from the islands,” he said. “And there’s other islands like New Zealand, Guam and others we’re representing under the Holo Holo banner. It just made sense to do it in Vegas. There are so many huge pluses for launching a festival there.”
The varied acts of the festival will bring traditional Hawaiian music as well as reggae and other island sounds, “to incorporate all the music of Hawaii and other cultural aspects,” Sheehan said. “But it’s still a music festival. There are other great events in Las Vegas like Pure Aloha that are more culturally driven. We’re going to be in that lane, but the idea is showcasing music.”
Kapena, a multigenerational island band that incorporates ukulele and slack key guitar into its sound, is one example of an act that might not otherwise visit Las Vegas. And Paula Fuga, who recently opened for Jack Johnson at Wynn Las Vegas’ Encore Theater, is a singer and songwriter who has blended traditional music with reggae and modern pop elements.
“She one we’re really looking forward to, and Ka’ikena Scanlan is another one,” Sheehan said. “A lot of his lyrics are sung in Hawaiian and he’s a roots man. We’re looking forward to showcasing those artists as well as some great artists that you’ve seen play Vegas and sell tickets like J Boog and Kolohe Kai.”
Thanks to its centrally located venue — the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center is also where the related festival Reggae Rise Up will happen again in October — Holo Holo is expecting to attract Vegas visitors and locals to the downtown area. Sheehan said he concentrated marketing efforts on local island restaurants and businesses, and also reached out to the UNLV Hawaiian Club to connect with island students who might be missing some of the comforts of home.
“It’s a strong, close-knit community in Las Vegas, so once the word gets going, it hits like wildfire,” he said.
Good Vibez is hoping to build a strong base this year and bring Holo Holo back as an annual event in the spring, while developing a traveling version of the festival in the fall. It is selling tickets to another fest at the Old Sacramento Waterfront for September 9 and 10.
