Chief’s Luau

Chief's Luau – Enjoy a Truly Memorable Evening in the Heart of Kapolei
Local Expert's Rating:
5.0 / 5
The Bottom Line:

For a traditional Hawaiian dinner and a show, set your sights on attending the Chief’s Luau during your trip to Oahu. The original world fire knife dance champion, Chief Sielu, sets the stage for an amazing time, taking you on a deep dive into Polynesian culture. All along the way, tasty traditional Hawaiian fare and the cocktails to match will keep you feeling satisfied as the magic happens all around you.

- The HawaiianIslands.com Local Expert Team

On your trip to Oahu, treat yourself to a truly memorable evening in Kapolei by attending the Chief’s Luau at Wet ‘n’ Wild Hawaii. Hosted by Chief Sielu, the original world fire knife dance champion, this fun event promises to immerse you in authentic Polynesian culture. Traditional food and drinks will come your way, too, ensuring you walk away fully satisfied with the experience.  

Since it’s the self-proclaimed highest-rated luau in Hawaii, the nightly performances fill up fast. To get a seat, you’ll want to make reservations well ahead of your trip. When you do that, you’ll get to choose between their two main experiences: paradise and royal.

The paradise experience serves as their basic tickets, which come with a kukui nut lei greeting, an all-you-can-eat Hawaiian luau feast, and two adult beverages. The royal experience gets you the full VIP treatment, including front-row seating plus a fresh-flower lei and mai tai upon arrival. On top of that, your ticket comes with dinner and three adult beverages as well – and a souvenir gift at the end.

For either experience, you just have to book online for your preferred date. Then, plan to arrive at the water park by 5 pm to get checked in and find your seat. The show starts at 5:30 pm each night, barring Tuesdays when they close their doors for a much-needed rest day. If you drive there on your own, bring $9 in cash to pay for parking. Also, keep in mind that both Apple and Google Maps regularly lead people in the wrong direction, so get directions off their websites.

If you prefer to take all the stress out of the equation, grab a seat on their motor coach when you buy your tickets. Then, meet at the assigned pickup spot at the specified time to get a quick and easy ride to the show and back again. Either way, once you arrive, you’ll get your selected greeting and a chance to enjoy fun activities on the beach, like weaving a headband using coconut leaves, getting a temporary tattoo, or making a fire by rubbing sticks together.

After that, you can find your seats and get ready for the traditional Hawaiian foods to come your way. Your meal will start out with taro rolls, diced pineapple, and a bright green salad dressed in ranch. After that, you’ll move on to the main course, which may include kalua pork, tropical BBQ chicken, sauteed Asian-style fish, and Lomi Lomi salmon. On the side, you’ll get sweet potatoes, white rice, and chow mein noodles featuring char siu pork.

For dessert, it’s all about the precisely prepared poi and pineapple cake. Take the time to savor all the flavors before you while sipping on your drinks from the bar. The food is all-you-can-eat, after all, and you can get drink refills up to your ticket limit. So, feel free to dive into the pure deliciousness at your leisure until the show begins.   

Once you’re done noshing on your feast, Chief Sielu will come up onstage first to perform the Polynesian welcoming ceremony and kick off the performance. His jokes will quickly show you why he’s the funniest comedian in the South Pacific. Then, at the end of the show, you can see just why he’s a fire knife dance champion while watching the grand finale. In between, there are traditional songs, dances, and stories to enjoy, taking you on a thrilling journey from start to finish.

Insider Tips:
-They offer discount rates for members of the military and local residents. You have to call to book if you want the discounts, however.
-If you want a full refund, you’ll need to cancel your reservations at least 24 hours in advance.
-Take a peek in the mirror before you arrive to get primped for your souvenir photo. Your host will take a snapshot of your group right after you check in for the show.