Jeff Peterson and Jerry Santos are among the perfomers for the Slack Key Festival. (photo courtesy of KalaKoa Entertainment)

Kala Koa Entertainment celebrates 17 years of bringing the biggest and brightest names in Hawaiian music to the mainland with the 2024 Southern California Slack Key Festival returning to the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Jan. 14.

One of the most acclaimed Hawaiian concerts to ever leave the islands, the Southern California Slack Key Festival takes fans on a Hawaiian musical journey showcasing Grammy-winning slack key guitarists, award-winning Hula Hālau, special guest performers and a free to the public Island Marketplace.

Since 2008, the Southern California Slack Key Festival has been the biggest Hawaiian music concert event in the mainland U.S. and features the most respected names in Hawaiian guitar music and hula today. Taking its name from a finger-picking style of guitar playing indigenous to Hawaii (as heard on the Grammy-nominated soundtrack for “The Descendants”), the Slack Key Festival brings the art of ki ho’alu guitar to Redondo Beach.

This year’s Southern California Slack Key Festival’s line-up includes Kula’iwi, Hi’ikua, Jerry Santos, Jeff Peterson, Jim “Kimo” West, Sean Parks, Namaka Cosma, Leokane Pryor and Ken Emerson.

In addition to the concert, an Island Marketplace – free and open to the public – will be held from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. outside of the venue. Browse a variety of island themed gifts, home décor, accessories, apparel, Hawaiian food, authentic island-style shave ice and outdoor entertainment. The concert begins at 2 p.m.

The Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center is located at 1935 Manhattan Becah Blvd., Redondo Beach. For information, visit slackkeyfest.com.