Hawaii can bid a final aloha to Aloha Stadium on Oct. 25 with the “Aloha to Aloha Stadium” concert featuring Henry Kapono, Brother Noland, Ekolu, the Makaha Sons, Ho‘onu‘a, Tavana, Kanaka Fyah, the Hawaiian Style Band, Anuhea, Manoa DNA, and Kimie Miner.
Tickets range from $10 per person and $30 for a family of six up to $129.
The event, produced by TMR Events, the Aloha Artist Foundation and the Henry Kapono Foundation, is going to be particularly bittersweet for Kapono. He and Cecilio Rodriguez, who performed together as Cecilio & Kapono, drew a crowd of more than 22,000 when they headlined an Aloha Stadium concert with the bands America and Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids on July 5, 1976.
The duo topped that five months later when a crowd estimated at more than 30,000 people turned out for the C&K/Kalapana double bill that was the biggest concert starring local acts at Aloha Stadium in the ‘70s.
“Aloha Stadium has been more than a place — it’s been part of our lives,” Kapono said in a news release announcing the concert. “As we honor its legacy, we also celebrate the new chapter ahead, filled with Aloha and Goodtimes Together.”
Among the biggest of those musical “Goodtimes Together” at Aloha Stadium were:
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>> Michael Jackson’s two sold-out concerts Jan. 3 and 4, 1997, the only U.S. dates of his HIStory World Tour, drawing 35,000 fans each night and making Jackson the first entertainer to sell out the stadium — twice.
>> Whitney Houston performing for more than 29,000 fans May 29, 1997, on her Pacific Rim Tour.
>> The Rolling Stones returning to Hawaii for the first time in 25 years for two concerts Jan. 23 and 24, 1998, as part of their Bridges to Babylon Tour.
>> Janet Jackson setting the record for the biggest audience at a single Aloha Stadium concert when her Jan. 30, 1999, performance filled the stadium “beyond its intended capacity.”
>> Hawaii’s own Bruno Mars breaking records with three back-to-back sellouts Nov. 8, 10 and 11, 2018, during his 24K Magic World Tour.
Other big-name bands and entertainers to perform at Aloha Stadium over the years include Stevie Wonder (1982), The Police (1984), Mariah Carey (1998), U2 (2006), The Eagles (2018), Snoop Dogg and Cardi B (2018) — and even Frank Sinatra (1986).
Then there’s Japanese super-group Tube, which celebrated its 15th anniversary June 1, 2000, with a special effects extravaganza that included pyrotechnics, state-of-the-art concert sound and lighting, and thousands of gallons of water that erupted in fountains and water pillars, soaking the fans in the first 20 rows.
More than 13,000 Tube fans came from Japan for the show; a spokesperson for Gov. Ben Cayetano estimated they spent almost $20 million in Hawaii.
“It is a tremendous honor to produce this historic concert event,” said Raymond Ho Jr., a member of the “Aloha to Aloha Stadium” production team. “(It) pays tribute to a place that has been a foundation of Hawaii’s community and culture for nearly five decades.”
The Skyline rail will run until 10:30 p.m. that night to provide concertgoers the option of riding it to and from the stadium.
“‘Aloha to Aloha Stadium’ gives our community one final chance to honor all the memories we’ve made here throughout the past 50 years,” said Stanford Carr, president of Stanford Carr Development and one of the lead developers of the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District that will replace the historic landmark.
“Together we can say ‘aloha’ and bless the site with our best wishes for its exciting role in our future as Hawaii’s landmark venue for sports and entertainment.”
