People throw colorful powder into the air during a previous Color Festival Hawaii. The festival will return to the Maui Arts & Cultural Center on April 26. The Color Festival Hawaii is a celebration of life and the vibrancy of community, inclusive of ages and abilities. Courtesy photo

Inspired by the Indian Holi festival, the Color Festival Hawaii will return to the Maui Arts & Cultural Center on April 26 as a celebration of peace, love and inclusion.

The festival serves as Imua Family Services’ signature “friend-raising” event and is meant to empower the community while celebrating Maui’s rich diversity.

With a full lineup of live music and festival fun, the day will culminate with a group color throw, filling the air with a burst of rainbow hues much like what people see during the Holi festival in India.

“The significance of rainbows as a promise of better days, of new beginnings, and of fresh starts is important to Imua Family Services’ focus on inclusion,” said Dean Wong, Imua Family Services’ executive director, in a statement. “It’s a symbol that says all belong together, no one is left out, none are left behind, and we are all connected to the promise that it brings.”

The throwing of colors is meant to represent love, unity and the breaking of barriers. Color Festivals have since spread worldwide, symbolizing the arrival of spring, the triumph of good over evil and a day of joy, renewal and togetherness.

The lineup of performers for the 2025 Color Festival Hawaii will start out with DJ SweetBeets, a national touring DJ who tailors each set with deep vinyl selections, bringing dance, love, and joy to her listeners, before rising Hawaiian music star Anthony Pfluke takes the stage.

BrownChicken BrownCow StringBand, Rowdy Love, Justin Morris & Company and Pō & the 4Fathers are also scheduled to perform, and Dr. Nat & Rio Ritmo will close out the music with its high-energy Afro-Latin and Brazilian dance rhythms.

Attendees will be able to enjoy some of the island’s favorite food trucks. Eco-friendly color powder will be available for purchase.

Adult tickets are $30 and youth ages 6-18 are $20. Children 5 and under are free. Tickets are available at MauiArts.org.