The Hawaii Theatre at the edge of Chinatown hosts concerts and family shows. Bags are subject to search at the door, and tablets, water bottles, glow sticks and noisemakers stay outside. Everyone, any age, needs a ticket and a seat, and latecomers wait for a break in the show.
Know before you go. The Hawaii Theatre doesn't list sensory-friendly shows or a quiet room. Here's what it does say about the bag check, the seats, latecomers and the building.
Hours
Show times vary by event. Doors usually open one hour before the show, and Will Call opens one hour before. Box Office (open select hours): Tuesday to Friday 10 am to 4 pm, Saturday noon to 4 pm, and 1 hour before any public performance.
1130 Bethel Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 (edge of Chinatown, between Hotel Street and Pauahi Street)
“Regardless of age, everyone must have a ticket and sit in a seat.”
“Disruptive patrons, including children, will not be allowed to remain in the theatre”
“Please note: The Hawaii Theatre has no elevator, so upper-level seating and upstairs areas (like the Weyand Room) are not wheelchair accessible.”
“The Hawaii Theatre does not have baby changing stations or private breast-feeding/lactation rooms. However, you may use the handicap stall in the women’s restroom.”
Disruptive patrons, including children, aren't allowed to stay in the theatre, and there are no refunds for anyone removed for disruptive behavior or for breaking venue policies. Plan your way out before the lights go down.
The theatre discourages bringing children 3 and younger, except to programs made for young audiences, and “babes in arms” aren't admitted. Some shows contain mature content; check each show's content guidelines.
There are no baby changing stations or private lactation rooms; you may use the accessible stall in the women's restroom.
Every bag is subject to search, bags must be 9 x 5 x 2 inches or smaller, and the 23 prohibited items include tablets and laptops, water bottles, outside food and drinks, flashlights and glow sticks, noisemakers like whistles and bells, balloons and balls, and seat cushions or booster seats. Prohibited items are left at the entrance.
Everyone, of any age, needs a ticket and sits in a seat. Each ticket is valid for one seat and one entry only and is scanned once. Each ticket has a $4.50 processing fee, an $8 restoration fee and a $3 to $5 promoter fee, about $15.50 on average, on every purchase.
All sales are final, with no refunds or exchanges unless a performance is canceled; unused tickets can be donated to the theatre before the show. If a show is canceled, the refund rules differ: the Ticketing Policies say refunds go to the original purchaser by the original method of payment (allow about 5 to 7 business days after the cancellation email), while the ticket site says refunds come as Hawaii Theatre Center gift cards that don't expire.
Family shows coming up: Sacred Hearts Academy's The Nutcracker, Sat Dec 12 2026 at 6:30 pm, $32.50 to $37.50, plus fees; Rumpelstiltskin, Panto Live, Sun Jan 24 2027 at 3 pm and 7 pm, $35.50 to $50.50, plus fees, billed with “tons of audience participation”.
Latecomers are seated at management's discretion, usually after a song ends or at a break in the show.
Food: small charcuterie and packaged snacks are sold before the show; pre-paid concessions are picked up at The Buxton Bar on the second floor. No outside food or drink is allowed inside.
Parking: the theatre lists nine nearby lots and garages, A to I (Liberty Lot, Mark's Garage, Smith/Beretania Municipal Garage, Chinatown Gateway, The Garage at the Forte, 41 N Pauahi St Parking, 1021 Smith St Garage, Harbor Court Parking, Executive Centre); rates and hours may change. Street parking is metered, mostly 1 hour at $3 an hour, enforced 8:30 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday and 7 am to 6 pm Saturday, and free from 6 pm to 6:30 am and all day Sundays and holidays. Don't park on Pauahi Street on show days (tow-away). Security can walk you to the nearest garage.
Getting there: TheBus routes along King, Hotel, Beretania and Bethel Streets, including 2, 13, 19, 20 and 42 from Waikīkī. The front of the theatre is not a loading zone; you can wait in the well-lit area outside for your ride.
Access: call the Box Office to book wheelchair and companion seats or armless seating. There's no elevator, so upper-level seats and upstairs areas aren't wheelchair accessible; volunteers and staff can help you reach your seat. Infrared listening devices start working when the show starts. Trained service animals are welcome.
Photos and phones: policies vary by show; the theatre's standard is no flash, and devices are silenced during the performance.
