Waikiki Shell

Great place for an outdoor concert. Parking sucks, period. There are many rules. For instance, no umbrella. So if it rains, you better bring a raincoat or you will get wet. By the way, it rains everyday in Hawaii. For the lawn, no chairs. You cannot bring in your own foods. You must buy their overpriced average food there. Bathroom lines and wait are long. Women get fed up and go into the men’s bathroom, so don’t be alarm while you’re using the urinal. The concert setting is good and the sounds are good. You may want to set up outside with your own food and tents, but you won’t be able to see the stage and the sound will not be as good.

I love this venue!!! I’ve seen three events here, one in the seats and two on the lawn. Honestly I prefer the lawn. You still have a great view and can sit on a blanket in the grass and be barefoot and relax. Such a pretty view of diamond head too. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because they could really have a better selection of food and beverage vendors. I always have to eat before or after I come because the food sucks and it’s so overpriced. Even the margarita I bought once was $ 13! And was so weak! Never again. But it you get a chance to come see a show here, overall it’s fantastic.

Great outdoor venue. Parking is not great so get there early.

The Waikiki Shell is a great World Venue. Outdoor Open Air. the back of the stage and if U look from above looks like a sea Shell. Seated and Lawn Sections. Sound off at 10pm no exceptions. Parking scare, carpool or preparty dine nearby. The List of World Class performers who performed there are super long and super talent.

A good small 8,000 seat outdoor amphitheater. I sat in 2^nd row of CC1. Basically, dead center in the first reserve seating section. The pit is in front then a large walkway. I sat in seat 1 which was on the aisle. Unfortunately, people no longer attend concerts for the music but for the experience so they walk constantly, making this location very distracting. If you can choose I’d get about 5^th or 6^th row in CC1 and in the middle. That should elevate you enough that the view is good and unobstructed by all the walkers. I’d avoid the pit unless it was a serious rock show and you wanted to mosh. There is no elevation and the stage is high. I suspect visibility is terrible.

Came here for the Mayjah Rayjah concert over the summer! I love the layout of the whole place. Because it’s kind of a hill kind of layout, you can see the stage from just about anywhere you are. We had lawn tickets and hung out in the beer garden the whole time. Really chill vibes and awesome time overall. We brought little mats to layout and sit down on and weren’t bothered by anybody even when sitting down on the ground. The sound quality was great, very clear and able to hear from anywhere on the venue. The have bathrooms on either side which were relatively clean and stocked.
The only bad thing is that parking is really hard to find! We drove around a few times and eventually found street parking by the park nearby. I would suggest coming early if you want to snag a spot in the lot.

Beautiful music venue! With the view of Diamondhead in the background? What do you expect? Can’t wait to come back here for another concert! Just recently went here for the #RevivetheLive ! And it was such an awesome experience!
If you bought lawn seats. make sure to bring a Mat or chair. If you are attending during th day — make sure to wear a hat and some sunblock!

Waikiki Shell’s open air venue is my favorite, if the rain and the heat of the afternoon sun doesn’t spoil the fun that is. Although I’ve only been to the Shell once which was to see SOJA this past weekend, I thoroughly enjoyed the lawn seating option. When the main act of the night came out on stage, crowds started to form at the barriers, forcing my significant other & I to sit further back of the lawn with our handy multifunctional jacket (we didn’t know we could bring blankets.) Nevertheless, the superb sound quality made up for not being able to see the sweat drip down Jacob Hemphill’s face, but no matter how far back we sat, his voice was easily soothing.

There’s band merchandise, pricey food, organic smoothies & multiple alcohol tents to satisfy the crowds. As for parking, I didn’t bother with venue parking. I tried my luck at the Honolulu Zoo parking lot.

I would definitely come back again & buy assigned seat tickets so I can jump on stage more easily if the band permits.

Great place for a concert, weather permitting, parking is bad, Concession lines long, Bathroom lines long for the women, go to the one in the back, lines not as long as the one by the entrance,
If you get lawn seats you need to come early so you can get good seats, reserved is the best.
Miss the Shell years ago when we could bring in a small cooler with dinner

Would actually like to give these guys no stars. First while it is a nice venue it is kind of weird for example I bought a beer but my wife wanted a margarita, no problem you think well I beg to differ since I bought my beer first I was not allowed in the margarita line to buy my wife’s drink WTF does that mean, lady told me I cannot be in the margarita line while holding a beer when asked why lady said because it can’t look like the margarita folks had sold me a beer I don’t know how they would do that since all they had was margaritas. Ok so not to start a scene I waited outside the line while my wife waited for her drink, so now that the drinks were handled we went down to the seats. I purchased front row aa row 1 seats but when we got there they were not row one they had stuck a loose row with chalk marking seat numbers right smack dab in front of us and of course there was a big guy that refused to sit down so we did not see a single second of the show. I paid a ton of money for what was suppose to be ROW 1 not row 2. Will I ever go to this venue agin probably not since I flew to Hawaii from california just for this show. By the way the show was not his best by a long shot it was very short and missed the mark we both left feeling disappointed and frustrated.

When you buy your tickets for an event here there should be a warning that parking lots will be closed, and filled with tailgating police officers in their personal vehicles. Completely missed the Jack Johnson concert I paid $ 100 for due to NO parking anywhere. Never, ever will I pay money for a show at this venue. If you’re thinking about buying lawn seats, you’re better off saving your money and sitting in the park.

Great venue just finding parking is always the issue. If you are on the lawn make sure to bring seat backs, if you are in the seats I hope you enjoy paying money to be hot. Being on the far ends it’s not too far from front stage.

what: with world-​famous diamond head for a backdrop, the waikiki shell is a unique venue for outdoor concerts and other events!
something good: i hadn’t been here since my graduation years and years ago, but recently had to come back here for my little sister’s graduation for college! i must say the thing that impressed me the most was how little the place changed, and that’s a huge compliment because most times venues can start getting old and breaking down. but the waikiki shell looks in good shape and is still very clean and tidy! :)
something not so good: so hot, hot, hot! dress comfortably and wear sunscreen!
something to try:

The bathroom sucks, but the Shell is gorgeous! Nothing beats an outdoor concert, especially in Hawaii. I’ve been here twice to see Jason Mraz and the Shell is the perfect setting for laid back, happy music.

Catching some cool music (Jason Mraz in this case) on a warm Honolulu night. What’s not to like? A group of us met in the section of Kapiolani Park adjacent to the the Waikiki Shell for a picnic prior to the evening entertainment. This is good strategy because:
1)you get to chill with friends over some good food & drinks
2)you avoid the traffic chaos that can occur if you arrive too close to the start of the concert
Strolling over to the venue took all of 3 minutes and BAM! just like that we were settled in for the show. Choose wisely as far as the blanket you bring if you opted for lawn seating. You’ll score points with your date/​friends if the blanket you bring is thick enough to avoid people getting their shorts wet from the potentially damp grass.
While I was perfectly content with our location on the lawn, it’s worth considering reserved seating if you are deeply into the artist performing. There’s just something to be said for seeing & hearing musicians up close.
Other tips
–get tix in advance at the Blaisdell box office on Ward St; while there was a small service charge, it was noticeably less than the typical fee at ticketmaster
–Beer was sold at the show

Best convert venue in Hawaii hands down. I’ve pretty much been to everywhere they’ve held a big concert and I’ve got to say this is probably the best place to have one. It’s funny, growing up with all the birthday bashes and big times band that have played here… I’ve never gone in until last Saturday for the Jason Mraz concert. Why you ask?
I’ve gone ghetto. We’ve always gone ghetto fabulous and BBQ on the «outside» of the shell so you can still hear the music but you get to eat your own food and drink your own drinks. Which is good b/​c the food and drinks inside is your typical «movie» priced items.
But as far as the sound quality, the location, the parking situation and the seating… best venue… beats out Blasidell, Hawaii Theatre, Waterfront, Kakaako, the old Pipeline, Kualoha Ranch, etc. I will say that the Amphitheater at UH is a close second though.

The Waikiki Shell is one of the best venues in Honolulu to watch live music! And as Shay F mentioned «if it doesn’t rain.» It’s an outdoor venue so as Shay F mentions in her review, «this venue is awesome if it doesn’t rain.» If it does, then you’re SOL.
You have two options for seating when you come to the Waikiki Shell:
1) Reserved seating
+Great if you’re like me, and hate having to arrive early to fight for space.
+Want some back support.
2) Lawn seating
+Perfect if you’re on a date because it gives you an excuse to cuddle on a blanket.
+Makes it feel more like a party.
Most of the time I prefer reserved seating but occasionally I still enjoy hanging out on the lawn. BUT if it’s an artist that I adore, I prefer to have a seat because it’s closer and the sound is clearer.
Food at the shell is not worthy of 5 Unilocal stars so I highly recommend grabbing a bite before hand or waiting until after the show. They sell beer and cocktails at most concerts but keep in mind that they usually close the bar down fairly early.
I just saw the amazing Jason Mraz at the Waikiki Shell and as I looked up at the moonlit sky, a sense of pure joy filled my heart. Lucky we live Hawaii!
Unilocal 365 Challenge: #269/​365 (The Music Under The Stars)

This venue is awesome if it doesn’t rain.
I went to the Jason Mraz concert. No coolers, no food or drinks allowed. Over priced food/​drinks sold inside, but I believe they only take cash so be prepared.
Unilocal 365 Challenge #339/​365

Waikiki Shell is one of those odd spots downtown. I have friends who have never been inside, and yet know more about the concert schedule than those who attend and pay money to be there. Open air and in the middle of a beautiful park will have that effect.
I was in the audience yesterday as we attempted to break the world record for most people playing the ukulele at the same time. We fell short by 500 people, so the record will stay in Sweden for now, but we had a good time and will try again soon. Maybe if we are lucky we will get enough notice to be able to tell friends and bring them along.
Back to the venue–
The space is oddly laid out, with some things (like seats) too close together and other things (like restrooms) too far away, but the designers did the best they could with the limited space they had. I do wish that there were some covered seats, as I’ve seen in other outdoor arenas, but I’ve been lucky enough to miss the rainy shows.
The restrooms are unpleasant, and the food options are limited, but you must drive through Waikiki to get here, so plan to be early enough to take care of those things ahead of time. Also plan ample time for parking, as spaces are limited.

One of the nicer outdoor concert venues I’ve been to. With Diamond Head as it’s backdrop and located in Kapiolani Park at the end of Waikiki, it has no need of more scenic surroundings. You can either sit in the seats of bring some mats to cruise on the grass. If you’re out there mid-​day, make sure to bring some sunscreen.
Parking is brutal because of all the other activities going on around The Shell. For anything you have to go here for, go early jsst to make sure you have acceptable parking.