Maui Nightlife
During the day Maui is bustling with activity. Everywhere people are surfing, hiking, snorkeling, whale watching, parasailing, or are just plain busy relaxing on the beach. But the action doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. At night Maui heats up with live music, dancing, theater and partying, so whatever kind of entertainment you’re searching for you’ll find it here – from relaxing places to enjoy a few cocktails and live music with friends to hot clubs where you can dance the night away.
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Brooks McGuire entertains the crowd at Cheeseburger in Paradise in Lahaina.
Photo by RyanSiphersPhotography.com |
WEST MAUI:
The young crowd descends on Front Street in Lahaina after dark, where clubs and bars are close enough together that partygoers can walk between them. Hard Rock Café gets crowded on Monday nights when charismatic reggae supernova Marty Dread takes the stage at 10pm, $10 cover. Down the street is Moose McGillycuddy’s, where DJs spin dance music all week long. Tuesdays the dance floor really fills up and the bar offers dollar drink specials all night, $5 cover. The spacious dance floor at Lahaina Store Grille & Oyster Bar draws a large and trendy crowd on weekend nights as DJs spin a mix of top 40’s, electronic and 80’s music from 10pm until 2am, $10 cover. Down at the Wharf Cinema Center they attract a laid-back crowd of locals that come to relax after work with a beer and some live acoustic music at Mulligan’s.
For those seeking a mellower atmosphere, upscale Longhi’s is the place for live original, and top 40’s music on Friday nights at 9pm, (most people come early for dinner and stay to dance). Nearby the Mai Tai Lounge, the newest nightspot in Lahaina and arguably the one with the best ocean view, has an upstairs, open-air lounge with a great atmosphere where on Friday and Saturday nights from 9pm to 12:30am a local DJ spins the tunes.
If you want to avoid the party scene on Front Street there’s a stand-up comedy dinner show at Giovanni’s in Kaanapali each Friday night at 9pm for $6 cover. You can go just for drinks and a few laughs. Even farther north is the Alaloa Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton, where live Hawaiian music every night until 11pm sets a comfortable mood for a more mature crowd
There’s no shortage of places to go for drinks, dancing and mingling when the sun sets on Maui’s South shore. Ocean’s Beach Bar and Grill is a fresh, new venue for DJ music and late-night dancing from 10pm to 2am on weekend nights for a $5 or $10 cover. nearby is a local favorite called Tip-Ups Tavern for live reggae music after 9pm.
Multiple bars make the Kihei Kalama Village a bustling center of activity every night of the week. The South Shore Tiki Lounge hosts DJs and cover bands and has a small, cozy dance floor that fills up every night from 10pm until close. Lulu’s is popular for salsa music and dancing on Thursday nights and for karaoke on Wednesdays. Ambrosia is a cozy little oasis for intimate blues, jazz and folk shows every night.
A great local hangout is Sports Page Grill and Bar. During football season a big crowd gathers here on Monday nights, but this place stays busy all year with live bands after 9:30pm, a laid-back atmosphere and pool tables. Locals like Kahale’s Beach Club for Hawaiian and reggae music after 9pm all week, too.
In Wailea, Mulligan’s on the Blue offers an eclectic mix of folk, jazz and Celtic music for diners to enjoy earlier in the evening and then turns into a dance club for the late crowd. On Friday nights DJs take over and spin techno and R&B tunes for $10 cover and on most Wednesday’s local favorite Willie K entertains the crowd for $25 cover. Contemporary music fills the air at the outdoor Lobby Lounge in the Four Seasons Resort on Monday, Thursday and Saturday nights.
The Maui Arts & Cultural Center is the island’s largest venue for concerts, theater performances, music festivals and hula shows. Mainland performers from Cindy Lauper to Chicago to Incubus take the stage in the Castle Theater or the A&B amphitheater. Before most shows the courtyard outside the theater turns into a center for socializing and dining on the cuisine prepared by some of the finest chef’s and restaurants on Maui. The MACC also hosts Maui Film Festival’s weekly Candlelight Café and Cinema screenings of documentaries and alternative, Academy Award winning feature films. Live music and dining are available in the courtyard before and after the shows.
The historic Iao Theater in Wailuku is another important venue for stage productions. The Maui Academy of Performing Arts presents four or five full length musical and theater performances each year and Maui’s Bare Essential Theater holds monthly stage readings of popular drama and comedy scripts.
Casual late night musical entertainment in central Maui is sparse, but your best bet is Café Marc Aurel, an alternative art gallery and wine bar that has live music on the weekends and open talent nights on Mondays. On the first Friday of each month downtown Wailuku holds a block party on Market and Vineyard Streets with live music, theater entertainment, art gallery receptions and food specials, from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. In Kahului, there’s also the Kahului Ale House for rock and reggae music all week.
Wednesday is ladies night at Casanova’s in Makawao. This great dance spot brings in the best talent from the Mainland and Hawaii every weekend. Another popular spot is Charley’s in Paia. Their new, upgraded sound system means the talent sounds even better. The swanky, tropical garden setting at Jacques attracts a stylish crowd for DJ dancing every Friday night at 10pm, $10 cover.
For alternative entertainment, head to Café Mambo on Thursday nights at 9pm, $5 cover. The fun and funky little café shows cult-classic movies and serves drinks to a chic, bohemian crowd and dinner is available if you show up a little earlier.
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Maui Nightlife 
