Amazing performance, laughter and view for a first luau experience with the family. Like most, our shuttle host Heaven was lovely and funny. But my favorite was the performance of the fire dancers along with the introduction of the different islands. The luau host was nothing but comedy! Like others have said, def not kid appropriate due to the many sexual, but very funny, jokes! He made everyone feel welcomed and included. He includes lots of interactive activities for the crowd throughout the show. I did however take away a star for the inconvenience of not having my name on the list for transportation after I had called the day before to confirm the reservations. They then made me hop on a different bus on our way back. Thankfully both shuttle buses were clean and comfortable. Also, the food was not the best. But still consumable. Tip: - WHEN FACING TOWARDS THE FRONT OF THE BUS, SIT ON THE RIGHT SIDE. GORGEOUS VIEWS OF THE WATER! - There will be a long line for drinks. I would recommend taking pics of the scenery, make a headband, and then get a drink. The drink line will be a lot quicker later. read more

Chief's Luau - Our welcome! - Performing Arts Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

Without any bit of question, this was the BEST luau on Oahu. The shuttles that run from the resorts are convenient, quick, and comfortable. The drivers and guides are a blast. They are very funny and engaging, and took the time to learn all of our names. They were a wealth of knowledge and were wonderful to be around. They are worth the price of admission on their own. SeaLife Park is where the luau is, and it is absolutely stunning. The views are wonderful. The backdrop for the luau stage is the Pacific Ocean and Rabbit Island. Behind you are surrounded by mountains. It is the beauty of Hawaii that you come to expect from seeing it on television. The performers in the luau greet you as you arrive, and show you how to make leis and grass headbands. Then comes time for the food, and what a feast it is. The pork is roasted over an open flame and is the best I've ever eaten, hands down. The chicken and fish were also good, as were the salads, vegetables, noodles, and desserts. The free Mai Tais don't hurt either! The bathrooms were clean and there was plenty of space between tables. The show was phenomenal. You learn so much about where these people came from, and why these rituals are so important to them. They are all incredibly well versed and talented. Chief is engaging and kind, all while commanding a great sense of respect yet never losing his sense of humor. As far as food, it's the best. As far as show, it's the best. As far as the setting... you get it. If you only have time for one luau, it MUST be this one. read more

Chief's Luau - What a backdrop! - Performing Arts Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

I have nothing to compare this experience to but we had an awesome time. The program was fun, funny, educational and heartwarming. The food was ok... but the setting and the entertainment were exceptional. The chief himself was a fantastic showman and host. It's away from Waikiki in an amazing location. The team of dancers, artisans, cooks and servers were outstanding. Highly recommend this luau. read more

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Our whole family went to Chief's Luau last July 25th, Thursday night. There's 29 of us. We planned to go to Luau since it's the first for all of us together in Hawaii. I recommend to see Chief's Luau coz my husband and I enjoyed the first time we went (first time was when they're still by Sea Life Park). All dancers are great and especially the Chief, he's always been funny and that's what I like about this Luau compare to other Luau's I've been. He's the life of the show. Food is tasty good. I'm so happy coz my whole family had a great time and even the kids had fun. I recommend to buy the front row seats if it's your first time and want to participate on the stage. read more

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This luau was amazing!!!! I have been to one other luau and by far, this one was the most amazing!!! The royal package was the way to go.... we got front of the line for tickets and entrance to the party. 3 drinks were included and the food was amazing!!! The atmosphere was fun and beautiful!! There were activities for kids and adults prior the show starting that were all included... and the great thing about them, they were fun!!! The best thing of the night was the actual show!!! All the dancers in the show, men and women, were amazing! The chief himself ran the show and was funny, sweet at times and very knowledgeable. While enjoying the show, you actually learn about the culture!!! Most amazing was the fire dancing!!!! Absolutely, hands down, will be back!!!! If you are on the fence about this luau, hop over the fence and get to it!!!! read more

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Everyone in our 13-person party, from age 10 months to 77 years, had a wonderful time at the luau. The kids especially enjoyed the pre-dinner activities, headbands, and performances. The performers are super talented! The chief was a wonderful host/comedian and you really got the sense that he cared so much about the production of the evening. All the staff were very friendly and welcoming. They do take a nice photo of your group at the beginning, so it's good to go in a nice outfit. The food itself was pretty just okay, nothing terribly outstanding - I definitely ate too much (there's a lot of meat and carbs). The drinks which were included in the price were weak and too sweet; the other drinks were so expensive. For what we paid, I do feel the drinks situation could have been better, or better yet have been unlimited, but you get a drink ticket and it's good for soft drinks or a sickly sweet mai tai. We ended up having to spend extra on cocktails which were pretty expensive but you're already there so what can you do? My other pointer would be to definitely wear bug spray; I woke up the next day with ~20 itchy bug bites all over my arms and legs. Also the bathroom is a water park bathroom (the whole thing is at a water park after hours, but the environment is still nice for a luau), so as you can imagine, not the best restroom. Actually it's a little bit grimy. Oh well. One thing that put a damper on our experience was that we'd bought tickets online for a certain evening, only to be called the next morning because they did not have enough seats for our party. Luckily we had flexible plans and most of us were able to reschedule for the following day. It seems to be a popular tourist activity so I definitely recommend booking well in advance if you know you'll want to go. read more

Chief's Luau - Plenty of opportunities to get up on stage! An interactive evening. - Performing Arts Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

Best luau on the island. Funny host, long fire show, great hula, and amazing food. Thank you, Chief's!

This is our first luau and WOW, it was AMAZING! From the moment we walked onto our shuttle to the moment we left the luau, the experience was FUN-O-MENAL! The Chief did not disappoint! Our kids LOVED the show, food, and entertainment. They were entertained the whole time. The luau was funny, heartwarming and a great experience for the whole family. Cousin Vai (the tour bus hostess) and Cindy (the driver) were entertaining throughout our drive. I would definitely recommend! read more

Chief's Luau - Performing Arts Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

Be prepared to experience high energy. Great service, and drinks in a pineapple. The show was exciting and had lots of energy. Must see to believe!! Also, come down the road and visit us at Germaine's as well read more

**BASIC LUAU WITHOUT THE FRILLS** One luau experience is enough in one's lifetime. And this was my fifth, thanks to mom's request. This was your basic traditional luau: *Comedian chief *Polynesian pre-luau activities *Tons of honeymooners *Buffet WHAT WE LIKED ============== *SMALL, INTIMATE VENUE *SHORT DISTANCE FROM WAIKIKI (20-25 min) *FIRE DANCERS (the best I've seen at a luau) WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE =================== *BACKYARD PARTY FEEL *NO TIKI TORCHES *NO BOTTOMLESS COCKTAILS (you would think so for $100 pp) *DIFFERENT NECKLACES AND COLOR CODING FOR TABLES If you purchased the cheapest package, you would get the cheap shell necklace and sit at yellow-carded table. And if you were a baller and purchased the expensive package, you would get the pretty leis and sit at the purple-carded table in the front. I get it, we're the cheap table with the cheap necklaces. But seriously, can they make the system less conspicuous? OVERALL ========= Mom thought her luau experience on Maui was better and I agree. Good luau, but not the best. read more

Luau was awesome, great food, amazing show and overall great experience! Chad was our tour leader and he made even the bus ride a blast! Great time for sure!! read more

Chief's Luau - Performing Arts Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

When in Hawaii you must do a luau to get the full experience with the culture and enjoy your time with your loved ones. This is my first and only luau I have ever been and I did A LOT of research prior to booking. After reviewing a few different options I chose this luau because the Aloha seats were cheap and if you arrived early enough you could sit closer to the stage without paying the Royal pricing. I honestly didn't want to pay a crazy amount for "dinner" when I could use that money for a different experience during our trip. Also they offered local and military discounts. So let's begin, when you arrive you will enter into a water park. (I wish I knew that prior because I would have possibly choose a different luau instead) you will need to pay for parking which is $5 and they have a large big open parking lot. Once you find parking you need to check in to get your drink tickets and your passes to get into the luau. (This is located to the right side when you get out of your car headed towards the Water Park.) Once you get your tickets and wristbands get into line to get into the park. I highly recommend to avoid getting in the "bus lines" and jump ahead to the entrance to be first into the park. From my understanding the "bus lines" already have seating pre determined and they come together and leave together in there packages. Once you enter into the park it seems a little chaotic and did organized but it makes sense at the end. First station you will be greeted by some ladies with necklaces to keep as souvenirs. Next you will be moved to a spot for taking photos with your family and the dancers. Make sure you do an epic pose! Afterwards you will get in line to be seated. Once again try not to get lost behind huge parties especially if you have a party of two. A host was able to seat us quickly compared to the larger parties. After you are sat down you are free to go roam around. You can explore the different activities such as making fire, getting a spray on tattoo, making a head band or food tasting. During this time my husband and I both enjoyed all the different activities and eventually located the self serve drink area. (I personally think they should have bigger cups) When it's time for dinner chief makes some announcement to have everyone come back to there seats to be released by table to go to the buffet. Then the sections are released by package and table. In all honestly this moved quickly and purchasing the lowest package didn't make too much of a difference. Once you are seated down again dig on in and enjoy the foods. Chief will make an announcement for seconds or thirds. Waiters and waitress will collect waste and take drink orders. Remember to use your drink tickets to get something delicious. After dinner is done and they have cleaned up the tables the show begins! It's is absolutely beautiful and hilarious. Chief needs to become a comedian! At the very end when it becomes dark the fire show begins and it's absolutely amazing and completes the luau. Overall my husband and I loved our experience but if we had to do it again we would consider going to a nicer location such as Diamond Head. Instead of being inside a water park and feeling slightly rushed through out the experience and activity time. However I HIGHLY recommend this for a family and large party because everyone will enjoy them selves regardless of age. read more

If you are in Hawaii, a luau is a must! Chief's was recommended by our hotel concierge and I'm glad we listened to him! The best day to go is Sunday because there is less traffic on thruway and it only takes 35 min to get there from Waikiki. There were also less people there. Before dinner there was henna tattoo, headband making,poi tasting, how to open a coconut with tasting and vendors. The buffet featured kahula pig roasted in a pit, chicken,fish,salads,fruit,cake and more. The show was the real highlight of the evening featuring dances from all the Polynesian islands and ending with the fire sword performance. I would definitely recommend this luau! read more

Spectacular well worth your money. Super funny everyone very nice. 10 STAR Please come watch them is fenomenal. read more

Chief's Luau - Performing Arts Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

This is truly a must see when visiting the island of Oahu. The show is funny, passionate and highly entertaining. The Chief will make you laugh while teaching about the welcoming ways of some of the Polynesian people. The food and drinks are really good, you will have a chance to shop for souvenirs from hand crafted wood art to pear/seashell necklaces. By far the best part is the fire dance, we came into is knowing nothing about it but we were shocked to witness a world class show! Literally! Highly recommended read more

Chief's Luau - Pig cooked umu style - Performing Arts Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

This place is AMAZING!!! The show is beautiful, educational, and very entertaining. The food was really good, they give you a complimentary Mai Tau when you enter. Everyone will get a beautiful handmade lei and Palm Leaf crown. The entertainers take the time to make these items which makes it even more special. I highly recommend checking this place out! read more

Chiefs Luau was an awesome experience and great way to celebrate our daughters birthday with her friends and family. Purchased tickets with a military discount. We purchased the royal tickets which are supposed to be their top of the line, but definitely recommend the platinum (or whatever the middle package is called). The royal included a "quick tour" of the shark and dolphin tanks which we never saw dolphins; and literally all you do is walk through and see them while everyone else takes a different route straight to pre luau activities. It also seats you in the center (but there's no bad seat there anywhere), and you get table service which was very very slow... I ended up going to get my drinks myself and if you go to the buffet you choose your meal, IMO that's better here. So there it is the royal ticket prices aren't worth it so go middle package, you will get great seats, first in line for the food and drinks, and takes you straight for the pre event activities which are more fun. Your welcome. So the food really depends on your taste but the majority of plates at the table were empty. Oh yeah, the tables are long wedding style tables you do not get your own table. If you don't like it then use one of your tickets and get a mai tai or too to relax. Now onto the real review, the luau... which was entertaining and awesome. The only luau with a breathtaking ocean view in the background. An amazing show you really just have to experience it. I couldnt tell you the difference between other luaus in Oahu as this was and have nothing to compare it with. What I liked the most about it is that they definitely brought the Aloha, from the activities, hula dance activity, the actual show and integrating the audience and a little comedy. Biggest highlight for us is they honored all the birthdays and anniversaries. We came here for our daughters birthday so it was really nice they took time to sing happy birthday to all the birthdays in the audience. She also got to go up on stage and dance as part of the show with her friends (along w/ other kids). An unexpected surprise was when they honored couples celebrating their anniversaries... we were all called on stage as the Chief praised marriage and importance of family values... and to our surprise we got to dance under the stars. My wife and I hadn't danced together since our trip to Jamaica three years ago so it was really nice for us. Anyhoo I'm posting pics and vids thay will help this review. read more

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Authentic, food is great, atmosphere is alive. Well done to the team at Chiefs Luau and all the dancers involved. read more

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Chief's Luau is located within Sea Life Park, behind the Kolohe Kai Sea Lion Show in the Makapuu Meadow. I thought it would be in a different location, like by the chapel on the other side. Nope! On days that the luaus' going to be open they have the area set up. We didn't get a package (Royal, Paradise, Standard) but we were given a mini-tour of Sea Life Park's shark, dolphin and sea turtle exhibits; kukui nut leis-one per person and one (1) drink ticket each. So we got to experience a little bit of each. They rope off the luau area and we were led to take a photo op in front of Manana/Rabbit Island with some of the cast. As guests arrived, there was an announcer that let everyone know what was available to do before the show began. What stations they had: +Tattoos +Spear throwing +A stick game (lol, didn't try it, just observed) +Bar +Weaving +Fire making +Craft area (selling, not making items) We started with the tattoos because we thought the long would be long if we did other activities first. They have a small selection and I guess can spray on where you'd like them to. It was sprayed on with a stencil: https://instagram.com/p/1zYwNbHtyQ/. Ha ha, I thought it was going to be drawn on, but that's okay, the closest I'll have to a real tattoo. It also rubs off easily. We tried touching Jeremy's and the ink bleed onto our fingers. After that we headed to the bar to use our tickets. The tickets only covered certain drinks, if you want something else, it'd be $10 (not sure). We just stuck with the Mai Tai, which was being pre-made on the side. Once we got our drinks, we headed to the palm tree leaf headband making station. We were told to pick three leaves and the cast member helped us start off, along with explaining to us how to weave and finish it. Even though he explained and did it right in front of me, it took me forever to get it. Boyfriend even tried to tell me what to do exactly. It took me a while, but I got it. He's wearing the one I made, I'm wearing the one he made: https://instagram.com/p/1z38YVntxP/. His looks better. Ugh. And, it's possible to adjust the diameter of the headband. We past the stick game. Stand in a circle, let go of stick, grab next stick to your right. Person that lets their stick fall is out. I guess they keep going until there is a winner. At the spear throwing, there is a limited amount in various sizes. The first one I picked up looked taller than I was so I switched to a shorter one. The cast member at this section explained and showed us how to hold and throw the spear. Mines didn't travel that far. T_T Onstage they had sticks to make fire. There were only two so we had to wait a while. I did create some smoke though :D Since we did just about everything, we went to our table and sat down. More people arrived. From the outside looking in the beginning it looked like a small luau, but they can pack a lot of people. Our tabled was located to the left of the stage (if you're facing the stage), in the standard package area. We were going to be the only ones at the table, but they let a newlywed couple join us. They asked and thought we were engaged/newlyweds too. The show began with Chief Sielu after giving those that wanted a hula lesson. Followed by a prayer, pulling the pig from the imu--used next day from what I heard, and getting dinner: https://instagram.com/p/1zg2XBHt74/. Really good btw. Not photographed because I didn't want any: salad, vegetable stir fry, mahi mahi, and pineapple cake. Once everyone got settled, the performance began and by the end of the night, we warmed up from the fire dancing and saw the stars when all the lights were turned off. We enjoyed the show and Chief Sielu. He made us laugh the entire time. I've only been to Paradise Cove's luau, the luau in Pacific Beach hotel and recently Germaine's Luau, and so far I've enjoyed Chief's Luau the most. Aside from the cast members, the other workers were friendly and came around to gather trash so we didn't have to get up and do it ourselves. I know, makes us sound lazy but it's dark and you wouldn't want everyone to be getting up and blocking views. It does get windy and cold, so hold everything down and if you get cold easily like I do, bring a jacket! Show ended at about 8:15 p.m. read more

Chief's Luau gets 5 stars because, although it's not perfect, it really IS "as good as it gets" for a luau. I went with 9 friends (we got the LivingSocial 1/2 off tickets for $50), and by the end they were so excited: laughing, dancing around. Please note that they weren't tipsy and they're not tourists... They live here! It was funny being the ONLY brown person there besides the people working, but I left here feeling elated, too. My face hurt from smiling for 4 hours. Location: Just perfect; it couldn't have been nicer. High green cliffs behind us with little wild goats running around, and a perfect ocean view in front of us. Food: The pork, fish, and fruit salad were excellent. Everything else was very mediocre, like at most luaus. The salad was iceberg from a bag, the mashed potatoes were from a mix, the stir-fry veggies had no taste, and the poi was watery. The one dessert item was pineapple cake, which was very yummy. Entertainment: Fantastic! Anyone who isn't too cynical or grouchy would have a wonderful time. The dances were beautiful, the jokes were funny, the live music/songs throughout the evening were a real treat, and I totally agree with Yelper Jeremy B... the finale really was spectacular and everyone in the crowd seemed delighted. Although the whole thing was "touristy", Chief Sielu and the others seemed sincere and the whole event (besides the awkward lei photo shoot) was very tasteful. read more

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My boyfriend and I had such a great time at this luau! Definitely arrive on time when the doors open at 4:30pm in order to enjoy the pre-show activities (fire making, leaf weaving head bands, spear throwing games, tattoos, etc etc) and to reserve your seats at your table (seating is first come first serve at the table you are assigned). We got the standard package which includes a drink ticket and a shell lei. The seats we got were good as we were able to see everything on the stage. The drinks available are mai tais, wine, and beers. Tip: if you're going with a local, don't forget to ask for the local discount prior to purchasing your tickets! My boyfriend was able to get us the discount which saved us almost $20 per person! The chief of the luau was HILARIOUS. He had me laughing non-stop and all the dancers were amazing. The show provided a great background on the history of Hawaii and its people & culture. The show also spotlights the audience and those who are there celebrating birthdays, honeymoons, and anniversaries. There was even a slow dancing moment and the couples who went up received flower bouquets for dancing. My favorite part of the show was the fire dancers. I'm still amazed at how CRAZY quick they spin the fire sticks and how far they toss them off the stage! The food was much better than expected! From reading the reviews, I was expecting blah food, but everything there was good! The chicken, mahi mahi, and kalua pig were all tasty. I ate everything I had on my plate! The dessert was coconut cake and I had two servings... lol. Overall, I definitely would recommend going to this luau. The people here were friendly & warming, the food was delicious, and the show was spectacular. Definitely glad I chose this luau! :) read more

My first luau and it was amazing ! I took one of the shuttles from Waikiki and from the moment you get on the shuttle and head to the luau you are entertained. Thanks to cousin Kay, Lisa and Ben for the fun time on the bus. There are cool activities before the luau starts. Chief is hilarious and they put on a wonderful show here ! The dancers are great and so is the food. Thank you for a good time ! read more

AMAZING!!!! We have had the privilege of living on Oahu for a few years and with local friends' recommendations we decided to try Chief's luau. We have experienced Chief's Luau 3 times with 3 different couples visiting us and every time it was the highlight of their visit. Chief is hilarious! The performers are awesome! The food is great! read more

Chief's Luau - Performing Arts Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

Perfect choice! I promise you this is the best luau for the price. Maybe the best in general! www.hawaiidiscount.com/oahu/luaus.htm This is the website I used (plus yelp) to research the prices and reviews of Oahu's luaus and to get discounted tickets. Germaine's is the cheapest, followed by Paradise Cove, followed by the Chief's. The biggest selling point for me was that the Chief's has only 100-200 seats while the others are 1000 people or more! Such an intimate setting was awesome. Much shorter lines and I don't think there was a bad seat in the house ;) Friendly, accommodating staff. Of course the first thing I did when I sat down with my only free mai tai was spill it all over the table and myself. I went back to the woman who made it and she graciously made me another one! Awesome. Even more awesome when we found two more drink tickets on the ground, haha. The food was great to me and I'm quite a picky eater (not a foodie, more child-like). The purple rolls were delicious and the pork was so juicy it felt like it was melting in your mouth! I loved the fact that it's held at Sea Life Park, which we also wanted to visit. You get to see their sea turtle habitat and a big tropical fish tank on the way in and you can look into the dolphin tank from the edge of the lawn. The "Paradise Plus" package includes a tour through the park, but we went Standard. Beautiful views! The tables look up onto some big mountains where you can see goats running around once in a while and on the other side is the ocean with two cool rock island things. I wish you could sit on the beach before dinner but you're nowhere close to it. The Chief had me laughing all night. I doubt any other host is THIS entertaining. Lots of innuendo for the adults, but doesn't get too raunchy for the kids :) The Chief is an extremely funny, warm, entertaining host. Get there early to take advantage of the activities and crafts! I was jealous looking at all the cool stuff people had made and done before I got there! read more

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PROS: -Service is top notch! One of the brothers of the Chief, "Missi", was super nice and helpful. We had a slight fiasco due to someone stealing our seats (see below) and Missi upgraded us to the center stage. -I enjoyed the show. Lots of heart-felt moments from the Chief. Interaction from the audience made it fun. I'd say the show was better than the Polynesian Cultural center. -Best fire show I've seen. Again, better than the Polynesian cultural center. -20-25 minutes from Waikiki -Luauh has an intimate feel, maybe 150-200 people. CONS: -Disorganized, disorganized, disorganized. Long lines to get drinks (15-20 minutes), seating structure is a nightmare (someone stole our seats and we got into an argument), waiting at the buffet line sucks. Priority is given to those who have better tickets. If you are lower-tier then you gotta wait. -Food isn't that good, maybe 1.5/5. Food was also cold, especially if you are the last to eat. Even tho it's AYCE I didn't even get seconds (I typically get seconds at Home-town-buffet mind you :P :P :P). I actually left hungry. Food is served in plastic spoons/forks/plates. -Not enough lighting so you are eating in the dark. -$5 parking fee TIPS: -It gets cold at night, bring a sweater -Alcohol is beer, mai tai's, and wine. -Whole thing was about 4-4.5 hours. -Get discounted tickets at http://www.hawaiidiscount.com/oahu/luaus.htm Overall: Service/the show is 4 stars and food is 2 stars. I'd say the Polynesian cultural center is a slightly better experience but the actual performance (dances & stuff) is better here. If they addressed the organization & food issues here this place would've been 5/5. read more

Chief's Luau - View of luauh - Performing Arts Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

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I wanted the quintessential Hawaiian experience and I knew this was a tourist trap, but it was really fantastic! A great way to spend the evening with the family. We took the coach bus from Waikiki and that was a little hectic with all the people from our site. However, once we arrived, we were greeted with leis and had drinks ready to go. Dinner was surprisingly good. (My expectations are never high for large venues like this, but we went back for seconds.) The dancing was really entertaining and the Chief was hilarious. I've never been to other luaus in Hawaii but if I were taking friends, I'd go again. read more

Chief's Luau - Performing Arts Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

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We've lived on Oahu for 2 years now and have taken visitors to almost every luau on the island. Chiefs is definitely our favorite. Seating is a little crowded but the food is decent (for luau food) & the entertainment is the absolute best. read more

Chief's Luau came highly recommended. I was a little skeptical pulling up after our bus ride from Waikiki to Kapolei - there were SIX tour buses full of people, who then needed to be guided and lei'd and photographed and seated. Uh-oh, did we make a tourist mistake? NO. Chief's Luau is totally worth waiting a little while in line. I worked for a luau years ago and I thought it was excellent; Chief's totally surpassed my experience. Chief Sielu Avea is a master MC - completely deadpan delivery with a strong Samoan accent and just hilarious. The dancers are first-rate and you will not forget the fire knife dancers, ever. The buffet had excellent selections - a vegetarian in our group was quite happy with her choices. The kalua pig was wonderful, and you must be brave and dip it in the poi for the full experience. It's actually a good combination. Even my kids thought so. For the kids (for everyone, really) there are lots of interactive activities before the show - tasting fresh coconut, weaving headbands from grasses, fire-starting with sticks, etc. The music throughout is excellent and the full spectrum of dance across Polynesia was represented. Finally, our host, Cousin Sho, kept our attention on the bus ride there with stories and running commentary and LOTS of goofing around. Go to Chief's Luau. I would go again. read more

My review 2 parts Food and beverage You get 1 free water down Mai tai with entrance. You can pay 5-10.00 for each addit stink besides the water down punch The food is below standards as it's cooked min 60 mins before seating. I saw them rolling in the carts as we where let in like cattle. Let's just say it started off bad when your served with styrofoam school lunch plates. They even have a place for milk in the tray for you. The desert is 1 cake and it's just plain. I went back for seconds and got the fruit only. Nothing there was worth going back for. The show was very good and entertaining. The show at the sea life park means NOTHING. It's in an area unrelated to the park nor is it on the beach. You can see the beach but it's far down the hill. Don't come for food and drinks. Come for show only. The price I paid is similar to all the open bar and better tasting food. In addition there is no one to clear your plates. You must take them to the trash. Entrance fees like a fine restaurant but service like a McDonald's. read more

Chief's Luau - Outside the entrance. Don't know why the show is here it's nothing to do with the park. - Performing Arts Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

Was wanting to go to a outdoor luau and found only indoor ones on yelp... So I went down to the concierge at the hotel I was staying in (The Modern) and she said.. "You want the best? You need to check out Chief's Luau" so we immediately booked it after her recommendation. Then I found it on yelp. Was spelling it "luau" wrong. :/ So a HUGE plus was that we were able to take a shuttle there, which was at no additional costs. It picked us up steps away from our hotel. This is great since my boyfriend and I like to drink and not worry about how we are going to get home after. So we arrive, after about a 45-minute shuttle ride, and it was great! Before the show, there was this leaf thing headband making.. Hula lessons.. Live music playing. Absolutely beautiful view.. It was an amazing pre-experience. But then the show started. They started with a brief welcome, offered us food(buffet style) which was a part of the second package. Which I didn't mind since I wanted to pick and choose my own food, and then we came back to our seats and the show started.. I don't want to ruin it for you, so I won't go into detail. But the Chief was great! Great jokes. Great music. Great overall experience (hot guys dancing... Oh and girls, too). Note: there were 3 packages offered: $90, $120, and $150. -The $150 got leis and were served food. They also got the best seats. -$120- first in line at the buffet, still good seats, two drink tickets, and got the big brown shells.. Not bad! We went with this option and I didn't mind it one bit. -$90- got pooka shells looking necklaces, were served food last, one drink ticket,and had descent seats. Wouldn't have minded this option either. Oh and one more note: it literally rained on us two times.. Hard actually. But it went about 5 minutes or so and the show continued on .. And the assistants passed on plastic rain jackets. How awesome is that! Enjoy and cheers! :) read more

Chief's Luau - Great show!!! - Performing Arts Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

Just watched the show and overall disappointing. Starting with 10 bucks very sketchy parking lot, the food, table setting, and atmosphere were very cheesy. The only fire show was great though!! Feels fooled by the good reviews! read more

My boyfriend and I were making up our itinerary and were deciding on which luau to go to. We weren't sure if we should attend Germaine's, Paradise Cove or Chief's. Initially, we didn't want to attend one but a friend of mine suggested going to Chief's because he's hilarious. She also told us that it was located at Sea Life Park and the area was beautiful. In the end, we decided on Chief's and I'm so glad that we did! Upon arrival, there was plenty of parking ($5). We booked it online and went with the Paradise (middle) package. It consisted on a kukui nut lei and 2 drinks for each person. We were greeted and took our picture and were escorted to our table. There were other activities there we could do before it began such as games, making fire, get tattoos, a little bit of shopping, weaving headbands out of coconut leaves and spear throwing. We made our headbands and grabbed drinks and just enjoyed the view. The food was really good. Kalua pork, mixed veggies, sweet potatoes, taro bun, and chicken skewers and the moist yummy coconut cake. After one plate, we were stuffed and couldn't wait for the show to begin. Chief's was so funny. My boyfriend and I were laughing our butts off the whole entire time. My favorite part had to be when he wanted couple who have been married for more than 30 years come on stage and were given flowers and asked to dance on stage. I thought it was really sweet. Even though this is Chief's third year of opening and is still new in the game compared to the other luaus, I felt as though it's been opened for years! Since we've been back, everyone has been asking us how the luau was and we've been telling everyone that MUST go here whenever they get the chance! Thank you Chief and staff for making our Hawaiian experience that much more memorable! We enjoyed every minute of it and will visit again but next time, we will join in on the hula dancing! Mahalo! read more

GREAT!!!! AMAZING!!! SO FUNNY!!!! I could never ask for a better reception to our wedding. The staff was so accommodating. Excellent customer service. We had a table to ourselves. The honeymooners, newly weds and anniversaries were called up to the stage. We exchanged leis, first dance underneath the stars and a tropical bouquet. Good food, good company and great entertainment. MAHALO read more

Chief's Luau - Aloha!!! Ohana. Mahalo - Performing Arts Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

I've been on the island for about 3 years and this was my first luau. It was a great show, the dancers were awesome and the MC was funny and kept everyone laughting. Everyone there was friendly. Before the main show starts they have different stations (spear throwing, head piece making, and tattoos) As for the food... It's okay, you're definitely paying for the show. We did general seating, which is on the lawn/mud not too happy about that. We had to take our shoes off to get into our car. Over all this was a good one time experience for the price. I probably won't be visiting about but that probably won't be my last luau. read more

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My second luau and Chief's disappointed me. Tickets for basic seating costs $80 per person. Located in the Sea Life Park. Parking cost $15! All the activites seemed super low budget. Everything seemed like it was thrown together last minute. Food was ok. Kaula pork, chicken skewers, mahi, and veggies. All decent tasting but the fish was super duper dry. Only good part was Chief. He was awkwardly entertaining. Made some funny jokes and comments. The show was good. Same as Paradise Coves show. I liked Paradise Coves luau better. read more

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On our wedding day we had planned to go to a different luau (PCC) as we had our ceremony on the property, however, that luau canceled due to a storm that occurred the night before... Which was unfortunate as we weren't able to get all the photo shots we wanted to take because they didn't have the staff to "monitor" us. We last minute booked seats at Chief Luau. I have NEVER had something so unplanned go so well! We arrived at Chief's a bit late and a bit flustered, but got out tickets and found our seats. They were doing activities so we quickly went to join in on fire starting. My husband made fire and was awarded by the chief! They started their show and we loved their focus on cultural education and separation of the different traditions of the pacific islands. They took time in their luau to celebrate all sorts of events that people would be celebrating. They honored not only us, as newly weds, but all couples celebrating an anniversary! The chief was incredibly heartfelt in his congratulations to us and made us feel super special. Which was something we wanted (why we booked our ceremony at the other luau initially) but not something we expected given we had not given them prior knowledge of our party coming to the luau, nor that the party was a wedding party. In all the chaos we were unable to even do a first dance, but Chief's played took time to allow not only us but all couples to have a dance! It was something special for everyone but felt particularly special to us as we were given that chance to have our first dance in front of our friends and family, something we didn't think we'd be able to do. A lot of things didn't go as planned for day, as it typically goes, but Chief's made our night amazing and we will always look fondly at our after ceremony luau. read more

Chief's Luau - Performing Arts Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

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My 2nd Luau in Honolulu and was quite disappointed. It's hosted at the water park. Drink prices are avg to high. The experience is about as authentic as a plastic tiki torch. I don't know who rates it the best, the limbo bar must be pretty low. read more

Chief's Luau - Performing Arts Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

YES!! This luau made my event planner side super happy. Everything was so well organized. There was not one imperfect moment during my experience here. That kinda scared me. Props to whoever organizes this whole thing. My friend and I researched a few other luaus on the island and decided that this was the best one. Our choice could not have been better. From the moment we stepped walked onto the grassy luau area, we were greeted by photo ops with the chiefs and a gorgeous view of Makapu'u. The emcee announced the many different activities available for children and adults alike. The stations included tattoos, leaf headband weaving, souvenir sales, spear throwing, and fire making. There were other special events like learning a hula dance and hearing the history of the pig we were about to eat. All the activities were very short to match our attention spans. The bar was open and I did not get to try drinks other than the free Mai Tai which was pretty decent. The food on the buffet was amazing. Side note... the buffet line starts with a dietary info chart so you know exactly what you can eat if you are vegetarian, gluten-free, etc. The system was so simple and effective! The kalua pork was the best. SO JUICY AND MOIST. At some point during the evening, it started raining, so the staff members handed out emergency ponchoes. The emcee even announced that the rain would soon subside and it was instead a gift to us instead of an inconveniences. Then it was time for the show. Chief Sielu is probably one of the funniest entertainers I have ever watched. Traveling to all the islands took several hours (the show lasted for a long time) but we all had so much fun. Every part was interactive with the audience, and the fire dancing was especially impressive at the end. People stayed afterwards to get photos with Chief Sielu (including me) and eventually left with smiles on their faces. The whole vibe of the luau was slightly touristy, which is what I expected, but I was so happy to be spoiled as a tourist for once. I would highly recommend this luau to anyone visiting the island... or if you have just never been before! LOVE everything about Chief's Luau. Thank you for the best last night in Hawaii I could have asked for. read more

We chose this luau after hours of research. My first luau, in Maui, was hard to follow. It was the Old Lahaina luau and was perfect in every way. Seating, setting, service, entertainment, all top notch. So I poured over the reviews for Germaines, Paradise Cove, Fia Fia at Ko Olina, and Polynesian Cultural Center on this trip to Oahu. I asked many locals about their favorite luau and all gave different answers! I decided on Chief's because it was a smaller venue, was set "on" the ocean, and after watching a video snippet of the entertainment, it seemed like the place to go. I did enjoy this luau, and it was much more organized than I expected due to the reviews. Yes, the seats are fold up plastic chairs, and yes, you are grouped by how much you pay, but if you know that going in, it shouldn't be a big deal. We bought the "Paradise" tickets, which were the middle package tickets. (I was not going to spend another $50 for an orchid lei and wooden fold up chairs, to be served at a table two feet closer to the stage.) When you arrive and sign in, they give you your table number and usher you down to the site, where you secure your chairs on a first-come, first-serve basis at the table you've been pre-assigned. The setting is beautiful. Performers, before the luau, are helping with various activities: spear throwing, fire starting, leaf crown making, airbrush tattooing, hula dance instruction. The food was okay (not terrible, like some reviews state). The entertainment was fun. As far as the cons. . . I would say the event lasted too long and I was ready for it to end. We arrived at 4:30, the music and buffet started at 6:00. The entertainment began at 7:00 and the show ended at 8:30. Ending at 8:00 would have been better, as I was tired by the end. But I must say, they ended with a fabulous fire show. There was also too much audience participation. The chief chose 4 men from the those seated in the premiere section and had them participate several times during the show. The chief also invited every honeymooner on stage and asked where they were from and how long they'd been married. He also invited all kids on stage and asked where they were from . . . I was there to see a performance and not to "hang" with the audience members. These parts could have easily have been cut and saved the 30 minutes that made the show too long. Pre-made mai tais were terribly weak. Save your drink tickets, wait until the crowd dies down and then go back for the freshly made mai tais. More dancing with less audience participation, and not having to sit in those uncomfortable plastic folding chairs for three hours would improve this luau. read more

Overall worth to do it once if you have never gone to a luau. Its small enough that all seats are good to view the stage and you dont wait long to eat. Pros: funny, entertaining pre activities and show - the chief is funny but his horny jokes get annoying after a while. The fire show at the end is def the best part of the show- amazing! Food: The pork was phenomenal the first go around, went for second round and it was so salty I couldn't eat it. Sides were just fine nothing wow! Cons: I think they over do the involvement with the audience during the show - too many times the stage is just filled with people from the audience and its not always funny. Tips: - Bring mosquito repellent - Get there early and chances are you wont pay the $5 parking fee as there is no one in the gate until 4:30. - get your tickets from the booth and then go hang out in your car until 5pm as doors wont open until then and there is just a couple of benches to sit - Don't overpay - standard seating is good enough! read more

Chief's Luau - Show girls - Performing Arts Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii