It was an action packed year, with events around the world returning (and perhaps even exceeding) pre-pandemic levels. New festivals (Exotikon, Resort-O-Rama, Louisiana Tiki Fest, Lei Away, et al.) joined the party while an old standby (Tiki Kon) bid adieu. Rum and spirits conferences seem to multiply every year, while music events continue to rev up interest in niche genres like surf and rockabilly. Browse the photos, video and social media posts below, or click on the links for more coverage and all the official sites.
THE TIKI TIMES 2024: Latest upcoming live and virtual events
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THE TIKI TIMES: 2023 EVENTS RECAP
Jan 20-22 – Inuhele: Atlanta’s Tiki Weekend
* Why horror and sci-fi fans love Tiki (Den of Geek)
New details on The Mai-Kai renovations, new merchandise revealed at Inuhele 2023 in Atlanta
New images and renderings of the historic restaurant’s multimillion-dollar refurbishment unveiled during presentation at Tiki weekender. Attendees also got a sneak preview of new mugs and other merchandise along with a new signature rum.
Jan. 21 – The Original Tiki Market Place in Garden Grove, Calif.
Jan. 20-21 – Rockabillaque Florida at the Seminole Casino Hotel in Immokalee.
Feb. 7-12 – Hopetown Music & Rum Festival in the Bahamas.
Feb. 10-12 – Miami Rum Congress in Miami Beach.
Feb. 12-13 – Tiki by the Sea Pop-Up Series in Miami.
Feb. 18 – Hi-Tide Winter Holiday: Pittsburgh 2023
Feb. 24 – Art of Tiki Cocktail Showdown at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival.
* Dancing pirates and smoking guns win big at South Beach cocktail competition (Miami Herald)
* Photography by Martin Medina (Worldredeye.com)
Feb. 15-26 – Modernism Week in Palm Springs, Calif.
* 5 things we learned at Modernism Week 2023 (Desert Sun)
* Palm Springs Modernism Week 2023 in images (LaLaScoop)
March 2-5 – Resort-O-Rama at Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa, Calif.
March 4 – Tikiyaki Orchestra “Tropika” Record Release in Long Beach, Calif.
March 5 – Adventureland Day at Disneyland in Anaheim.
March 5 – Adventureland Day at Disney World in Orlando.
March 11 – The Original Tiki Market Place in Garden Grove, Calif.
March 11-12 – Arizona Aloha Festival at Tempe Beach Park.
March 12 – Mermaid’s Day at Disneyland.
March 19 – Alohana in Palm Springs.
March 24-25 – Louisiana Tiki Fest in Baton Rouge.
March 25 – Los Angeles Harbor Hop
March 25 – Taste of Rum festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
April 1-3 – Rhum Fest Paris.
April 2 – Lowbrow Aloha art show and sale at Hala Kahiki near Chicago.
April 11-16 – Madeira Rum Festival
April 14-16 – BorderShop Rum & Whiskey Festival in Denmark.
April 15 – Floridania Fest – The Florida Memorabilia Show in Gulfport, Fla.
April 22 – Chicago Rum Festival.
April 22 – Shipwrecked – A Tiki Social & Bazaar in Marina del Rey, Calif.
April 27-30 – Arizona Tiki Oasis in Scottsdale.
April 27-30 – Viva Las Vegas rockabilly weekend.
May 3-5 – International Rum Summit in Paris.
May 6 – Oslo Rum Festival
May 4-7 – Tiki Caliente in Palm Springs, Calif.
May 7-9 – The Rum Day in Milan, Italy.
May 13 – Stockholm Rum & Caribbean Drinks Fest in Sweden.
May 18 – Rum Rendezvous: Friends of the Cabildo Spring Fundraiser in New Orleans.
May 20 – Atlanta Tiki Homebar Tour
May 20 – Prague International Rum Festival in Czechoslovakia.
May 19-21 – Tiki Flea A-Go-Go at Tiki Underground in Cleveland.
May 25 – The Hukilau preparty at Driftwood in Boynton Beach, Fla.
Take a wild ride on the Tropical Thunder Express from Pooch and Tiki Farm
An ambitious four-mug set brings the surrealistic world of lowbrow artist Mike “Pooch” Pucciarelli to life.
Upcoming event: Toast the Tropical Thunder Express at The Hukilau preparty
May 26-28 – Tiki Tacoma and Hula-Billy Weekender
May 27 – Ocala Tiki Fest
May 28 – Athens Surf Stomp in Athens, Ga.
June 2-3 – Gin & Rum Festival in Lucerne, Switzerland.
June 2-3 – Surf O Rama Festival in Valencia, Spain.
June 8-11 – The Hukilau in Pompano Beach, Fla.
The Hukilau highlights: Photos and memories from Tiki weekender
The 21st annual event featured four days of nonstop music, cocktails and education on modern and historic Polynesian Pop at the oceanfront Beachcomber Resort in South Florida.
>>> IMAGES FROM THE HUKILAU 2023
RELATED: The Hukilau 2023 live coverage, photos and video from social media
June 9 – Oslo Tiki Weekend in Norway.
June 10 – Leeds Gin & Rum Festival in the UK.
June 10 – New York Rum Festival & Congress in New York City.
* Amazing closure of the 2023 New York Rum Festival and Congress (The RumLab)
June 10 – Tiki Inferno 2, Return to Hell in Hell, Mich.
June 10-11 – Bordeaux Rum Festival in France.
June 11-13 and 18-20 – Tiki by the Sea in Wildwood, N.J.
June 11-18 – Dallas Tiki Week
What another great year! Thank you to all of the home tiki-tenders for showcasing your skills, talent and creativity! A…
Posted by Dallas Tiki Week on Monday, June 26, 2023
June 12-17 – Bonaire Rum Week
* Coverage from Rum Traveler
June 17 – The Original Tiki Market Place in Garden Grove, Calif.
June 17 – Pride Night at Trader Vic’s in Atlanta.
June 22-25 – Ohana: Luau At The Lake at The Tiki Resort, Lake George, N.Y.
June 22-25 – Surfer Joe Summer Festival in Livorno, Italy.
LIVE VIDEO: View all the clips on YouTube
June 23-24 – Rum Love Festival in Wroclaw, Poland.
June 23-25 – Exotikon music and arts festival in Los Angeles.
* Exotikon 2023: The event Tiki really needed (Resident Modernist)
* Jordan Reichek & Exotikon on The Quiet Village Podcast
June 24 – Birmingham Rum Festival in the UK.
June 24 – Magical Tiki Meet Up at Walt Disney World.
June 24 – Tiki Night at The Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles
June 27 – Tropical Shakedown in Long Beach, Calif.
June 30-July 2- Tiki Kon in Portland, Ore.
July 1 – Tiki Trader San Diego on Shelter Island.
July 8 – Manchester Rum Festival in the UK.
July 8-9 – German Rum Festival in Berlin.
July 9 – Atomic Tiki Bazaar at Max’s South Seas Hideaway in Grand Rapids, Mich.
July 9-10 – Piña Colada Dayat the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
July 11 – Orlando Tiki Fest.
July 14-15 – Rum Show in London.
July 16 – Tiki Noire: Voodoo Island at the Globe Theatre in Los Angeles.
July 21-23 – Surf X Surfwest IV in Seattle, Wash.
July 22 – The Original Tiki Market Place in Garden Grove, Calif.
July 22-23 – Hoike Hawaii Hula Competition in Orlando.
July 23-28 – Tales of the Cocktail and Spirted Awards in New Orleans.
July 28 – Appleton Legend 17 Year Old Rum Tasting & Symposium at Trader Vic’s Emeryville.
July 28-30 – Surf Guitar 101 Festival Weekender in Los Angeles, Calif.
July 29 – Grumpy’s Big Kahuna Bash in Minneapolis, Minn.
July 29 – The Hula Hop at Huli Huli Tiki Lounge in Powell, Ohio.
Aug. 2-6 – Tiki Oasis in San Diego, Calif.
* Photos: The Pooch Parade (The LA Beat)
* Photos: The Aloha Caftan Society Parade (The LA Beat)
The Mai-Kai and The Atomic Grog at Tiki Oasis
We were proud to present two special seminars at the world’s original Tiki weekender in San Diego:
* The Derby Daiquiri and Beyond: How to Create Your Own Classic
* Tiki History Reimagined: The Restoration and Reopening of The Mai-Kai
FULL INFO ON THE SEMINARS
Aug. 6 – Lowbrow Aloha art show and sale at Hala Kahiki near Chicago.
Aug. 12 – Brooklyn Rum Festival
* Brooklyn Rum Festival returns for an unforgettable fourth year (Caribbean Life)
Aug. 13 – Rum-Tiki Social Long Beach
Aug. 14-19 – Mobile Tiki Week in Alabama.
Aug. 16-18 – Panama Rum Fest in Bella Vista, Panama City.
Aug. 18-20 – Hi-Tide Summer Holiday in Asbury Park, N.J.
Aug. 25 – Mai Tai Madness for Maui with Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, Eve Bergeron, and Appleton 17 Legend at Trader Vic’s Emeryville.
Aug. 25-27 – Rockaway Beach Surf Music Festival in New York City.
Aug. 25-27 – Tiki in Waikiki in Honolulu.
Aug. 26 – Castaway with the Luau Lads in Jacksonville, Fla.
Aug. 26 – Third Coast Surf Fest in Palatine, Ill.
Aug. 28 – Mai Tai Day 2023 at Trader Vic’s Emeryville.
Sept. 1-3 – Lei Away in Kansas City.
Sept. 2 – Scottish Rum Festival in Edinburgh.
Sept. 7 – Miami for Maui fundraiser at Esotico Miami and Kaona Room.
Sept. 8-9 – Los Angeles Rum Festival.
Sept. 9 – Music for Maui at The Honu in Dunedin.
Sept. 10 – TikiLand Day at Disneyland
* How Disneyland influenced Tiki culture and continues to shape the kitsch movement today (The Orange County Register)
Sept. 15-16 – Makahiki: A Night of Tiki at The Inferno Room in Indianapolis, Ind.
Sept. 15-16 – Whiskey N Rum Show in Copenhagen.
Sept. 16-17 – San Francisco Rum Festival & Congress.
Sept. 18-24 – Boston Rum Week
Sept. 20 – The Ventures International Fan Fest in Upper Chichester, Pa.
Sept 21-24 – Texas Tiki Week in Austin.
* Celebrate Texas Tiki Week At The W Hotel (KXAN)
Sept. 24 – Kon Tiki’s 60th Anniversary in Tucson, Ariz.
* Tucson’s tropical escape Kon Tiki hits 60 years old (Arizona Daily Star)
* Kon Tiki Restaurant & Lounge Celebrates 60 Years in Tucson (Tucson Foodie)
Sept. 29 – Southern Surf StompFest pre-party at Trader Vic’s in Atlanta.
Sept. 30 – Southern Surf StompFest in Avondale Estates, Ga.
Oct. 5-8 – Tiki Fever at the Bahi Hut and Golden Host Resort in Sarasota, Fla.
Oct. 7 – Whisky & Rum Festival in Holland.
Oct. 14-15 – Salon du Rhum in Belgium.
Oct. 15 – Alohana in Palm Springs.
Oct. 11-16 – London Rum Week and The UK RumFest.
* Unveiling the Spirits: The Experience of UK Rumfest 2023 (Soca News)
Oct. 19-22 – Barbados Food & Rum Festival
* Barbados Food and Rum Big 4 sold out (Loop)
* Barbados Food and Rum Festival Awarded Best Culinary Festival in the Caribbean (eTurboNews)
Oct. 19-22 – Modernism Week Fall Preview in Palm Springs, Calif.
Oct. 29 – Monsters and Mai Tais at Tonga Hut in Los Angeles.
Oct. 30-Nov. 4 – The Barbados Rum Experience
Oct. 31-Nov. 5 – St Barth Rum Festival and Caribbean Rum Awards
* The World’s Best Rum — According To The 2023 Caribbean Rum Awards (Forbes)
* Caribbean Rum Awards – Not Your Typical Rum Festival (Rum Traveler)
Nov. 3-4 – Danish Rum and Whisky Festival in Denmark.
Nov. 11 – Rum Revolution in Brisbane, Australia.
Nov. 11-12 – Miami Rum Renaissance Festival in Coral Gables.
Pioneering Miami Rum Festival foreshadowed spirit’s renaissance
The 14th annual event offers an opportunity for rum connoisseurs to meet and mingle in an intimate setting with producers, distillers, importers, distributors, retailers and other members of the spirits trade.
>>> Q&A with festival co-founder Robert Burr
>>> Upcoming rum events calendar
Nov. 12 – Atomic Tiki Bazaar at Max’s South Seas Hideaway in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Nov. 18 – Rockabillaque Charleston in South Carolina.
Nov. 18-19 – East Coast Pacific Islander Festival in Geneva, Fla.
Dec. 3 – Exotikon Satellite Christmas Show in Los Angeles.
Dec. 3 – Lowbrow Aloha art show and sale at Hala Kahiki near Chicago.
Dec. 9 – The Original Tiki Market Place Happy Hula Days in Garden Grove, Calif.
Dec. 21 – National Coquito Day at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Top 10 stories of 2023: Tiki resurgence and appreciation breathes life into year marked by loss
Take a look back at last year’s most significant news, including legends lost, honored and revived.
Bonus cocktail recipes: Beachcomber Punch | Ray’s Mystique
Previous annual event recaps
2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018
Past coverage: News and events from 2015-2017
UPDATES: The Tiki Times: Exclusive events guide
Check the calendar for the latest upcoming live and virtual events.
Sunshine State emerges as epicenter of Tiki revival in 2024
Florida will quickly become a must-visit destination with the addition of Tiki-a-Go-Go, the return of The Mai-Kai, and the revival of the Don the Beachcomber brand.