Every Friday at 7:45 pm, fireworks go off for about 10 minutes near the lagoon in the Hilton Hawaiian Village. I’ll share my photos and some tips to help you decide if you want to see them.
- My photos and experience
- Where can you see the fireworks from?
- How long is the show?
- Are they worth seeing?
My photos and experience
I saw the fireworks on my last day on O‘ahu. I’d got up at 4 am to see the sunrise on Sandy Beach, so I was going to go to bed early, but a group at my hostel was going to see the fireworks. They convinced me to go with them. We walked to Fort DeRussy Beach Park. It was crowded and honestly, it didn’t look like it was going to be a good time, but we found spots and had a good laugh playing charades and impostor as the sun set (I wasn’t very good at charades, but I made a good impostor).
The fireworks started on time. Some people jumped up to try to get a better view, but I stayed where I was. It was a great view despite how crowded the beach was. The display lasted about 10 minutes. Very pretty.
One of the girls I went with asked me if we have fireworks in the UK. The answer is that as well as New Year’s Eve, we have a day called Bonfire Night. People will let off fireworks in their gardens for at least a month afterwards and probably a week before too. Sometimes they don’t need a reason. We definitely have fireworks.
So yeah, I don’t usually care about them. If anything, I find them annoying, but there was something special about watching them on a beach with strangers. Touristy? Sure, because the whole area is touristy (and allegedly haunted because it’s a sanitised blemish on sacred, stolen land). It has a Vegas vibe. But it’s what it is and I was glad I went, despite how tired I was.
I’d actually never shot fireworks before and I only had a crappy kit lens, so I’m happy with how these photos came out.
On the way out, I saw a random bloke doing fire knife dancing. I know that’s Polynesian rather than specifically Hawaiian, but it was still fun to see.
Where can you see the fireworks from?
The best views are from Fort DeRussy Beach Park, Magic Island, and up close at Duke Kahanamoku Beach. There are also bars and hotels with views.
How long is the show?
Five to 10 minutes. It was just under 10 minutes when I was there.
Are they worth seeing?
I think so! I mean, if you’re not staying in Waikiki, then it’s not worth travelling a long way to see them, but if you’re staying nearby, sure. Even if you don’t usually care for fireworks (I don’t), this is a novelty.
They might not be much fun (or go ahead at all) in bad weather though.
Enjoy the fireworks and safe travels! 💖
— Maria
Atlas and a Camera 