First Friday Honolulu

A free art night in Chinatown and Downtown, on the first Friday of every month, 5–9pm. Galleries and Capitol Modern stay open late; people walk between them, then stay for music or a drink. The next one is Friday 6 November 2026.

When5–9pmFirst Friday of every month

WhereNuʻuanu Ave & Hotel StChinatown, plus Capitol Modern

CostFreeShows and drinks extra

Next datesNov 6 · Dec 4 · Jan 1Jan 1 is New Year’s Day

Add Nov 6 to your calendar

Where to go

Everything is within about four blocks, except Capitol Modern, a 12-minute walk down Hotel St. Start there while it’s light, then walk up to the galleries before 8.

Capitol ModernState art museum · 250 S Hotel St5–9pmConfirmed
Downtown Art CenterGallery · 1041 Nuʻuanu Ave5:30–8pmConfirmed
The ARTS at Marks GarageGallery and performance space · 1159 Nuʻuanu Ave5–8pmConfirmed
Blank CanvasShop · 1145 Bethel StTill 8pmUsually open
Fighting EelLocal clothing label · 1133 Bethel StTill 9pmUsually open
Black Cat Tattoo StudioTattoo studio, live art · 1111 Nuʻuanu AveEveningUsually open
Hank’s Cafe & The Dragon UpstairsDive bar and upstairs jazz room · 1038 Nuʻuanu AveEveningUsually open
Bar 35Beer bar and courtyard · 35 N Hotel St4pm–2amUsually open
Murphy’s Bar & GrillIrish pub since 1891 · 2 Merchant StEveningUsually open

See them all on Google Maps

“Confirmed” venues publish their First Friday hours on their own sites. The rest come from the community calendar and change month to month. Checked Aug 12, 2026.

Parking and getting there

Street meters: free after 6pmMeters are $3 an hour until 6pm on weekdays. Arrive around 5:30 and you pay for half an hour.Verified 2026

Downtown Art Center lot$0.75 per 30 minutes, card only, no grace period. Entrance off Bethel St.Verified 2026

TheBus, not SkylineHotel St is bus-only through Downtown and Chinatown. Skyline doesn’t reach Chinatown yet.

Chinatown Gateway Plaza (city rates, fills early) and Kukui Plaza ($3 after 5pm) were last published in 2016. Marks Garage was sold in April 2026 and hasn’t published rates, so don’t count on it.

Questions people ask

When is the next First Friday in Honolulu?＋

The next one is Friday 6 November 2026, 5–9pm. It is always the first Friday of the month; the one after is Friday 4 December 2026.

What time does First Friday start and end?＋

From 5pm. Capitol Modern is open 5–9pm, Downtown Art Center 5:30–8pm, and The ARTS at Marks Garage usually 5–8pm. The bars keep going — Bar 35 on Hotel St is open until 2am.

Is First Friday Honolulu free?＋

Yes. There is no ticket and the galleries and Capitol Modern are free. You pay only for food, drink, shows and parking before 6pm.

Where do you park for First Friday?＋

Street meters are free after 6pm. Downtown Art Center’s own lot is $0.75 per half hour, card only.

Is First Friday family friendly?＋

Early on, yes. Capitol Modern is free for all ages and roomy. Later in the evening it is more of a bar crowd.

Is First Friday cancelled in November?＋

There is no single organiser who could cancel it, so it goes ahead every month. Individual galleries sometimes skip a month or change hours, and on New Year’s Day some may stay shut, so check the confirmed venues’ own pages before a special trip.

Venue hours were read from each venue’s own site on Aug 12, 2026; venues marked “Usually open” come from the community First Friday calendar and rotate monthly. See how we verify.

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