Cirque du Soleil’s Hawaiian-inspired residency is unlike any we’ve seen before.
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi , may move at a softer, slower pace, but my recent trip there was about more than just a visit to the beach; it was about experiencing ‘Auana, Cirque du Soleil’s Hawaiian-inspired residency at the OUTRIGGER Beachcomber, perfectly placed in the heart of buzzing Waikīkī.
The open-air hotel sets the tone with laid-back luxury, ocean-view mornings, and tropical yet refined cocktails paired with live music that reminds you Hawaiʻi is as much a rhythm as it is a destination.
Visiting during ‘Auana’s one-year anniversary meant a packed house, but the spotlight belonged to the show itself: a powerful blend of Cirque’s signature gravity-defying performance and deeply rooted Hawaiian storytelling centered on nature, creation, and the bond between people and the ʻāina.
Told through movement, music, and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, this is the only Cirque show in the world performed in a real language—‘Auana feels less like entertainment and more like stepping into a living myth, heightened by mesmerizing performers, breathtaking flexibility, and island-inspired costumes and percussion.
More than something to watch, ‘Auana is something to feel, a reminder that Hawaiʻi isn’t just a backdrop for vacation photos but a living culture, one that offers awe as unforgettable as its sun and salt air.