Mōʻiliʻili Hongwanji Bon Dance / Mōʻiliʻili Summer Fest 2026

Mōʻiliʻili Hongwanji Mission, established in 1906, is an early Honpa Hongwanji temple on Oʻahu, affiliated with the Nishi (West) Hongwanji branch of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism — a tradition brought to Hawaiʻi during the plantation-era immigration of the late 19th century. The temple co-produces its annual bon dance as the anchor of the Mōʻiliʻili Summer Fest, a community street festival first held around 2014 and now in its 13th edition.

The evening takes over the Old Varsity Building Parking Lot and Coyne Street, drawing an estimated 10,000 attendees. The Taiko Center of the Pacific performs, and multiple bon dance groups — including Hawaiʻi Shin Kobukai and the Honolulu Fukushima Bon Dance Club — lead circle dancing beginning at 6 p.m. Temple food booths operate alongside more than 60 local food vendors and artisans. The festival is produced in partnership with Kamehameha Schools, the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi, Mōʻiliʻili Community Center, and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.