We are delighted to confirm that the 2019 Kauai Folk Festival lineup has been revealed. The festival is set to take place at the Grove Farm Museum, Lihue, on September 28 – 29. Headliners for the 2019 outing are Americana legends Taj Mahal and Peter Rowan, who will both perform with Hawaiian bands.
The Kauai Fest offers up a unique blend of North American roots music and Hawaiian musical traditions.
Rounding out the lineup are alt-country singer-songwriter Jonny Fritz (who will also MC), bluegrass legend Tim O’Brien, Hawaiian artist Puka Asing, reggae star Sashamon, as well as Blaine Sprouse, Mike Bub, Caleb Klauder & Reeb Willms, Uncle Shuffelo and His Haint Hollow Hootenanny and more.
Tickets for the Kauai Folk Festival, along with more information, can be found here. Prices start at $60 for a one-day pass and $100 for a two-day pass. A VIP Weekend Pass, which includes VIP seating, preferred parking and access to VIP-only shows, is $300.
What the organizers say
“The goal of the Kauai Folk Festival,” festival director Matt Morelock says, “is to introduce Hawaiian artists and Hawaiian music fans to a broad diversity of North American roots music. And also to introduce these ‘mainland’ musicians to their Hawaiian counterparts. There’s never been an event of this scale with this mission in Hawaii.
“We hope to encourage further fusion and influence at this beautiful site with some of the greatest musicians alive today.”
With five stages running continuously, Morelock sees the Kauai Folk Festival as a kind of “Island Opry,” inspired by his work programming variety shows for broadcast.
Kauai Folk workshops are a key addition to the festival format. Performers will share in workshops on guitar, fiddle, banjo, ukulele, and mandolin. Dance instructors will teach hula, square dance, swing, and two-step. Voice instructors will teach harmony singing, ballads, and Hawaiian songs. Jam stations and loaner instruments will be available.
Attendees are encouraged to bring instruments. The artists will teach throughout the weekend, and there will be ample space for jamming and picking parties, a favorite activity for both Hawaiian and “mainland” musicians. On Sunday, the festival will kick off with a sacred set of Old-Time/Hawaiian Gospel singing, featuring songs selected from rural American and old Hawaiian hymnals. It will include performances by festival performers and several local congregations.
Where to stay during the Kauai Folk Festival
If you’d like to book accommodations at Ali’i Kai Resort, please contact us now at (808) 445 1116 or complete our enquiry form.
