Honolulu Festival’s fireworks canceled after technicians decline to travel from Japan

The Honolulu Festival has canceled its fireworks show after technicians from Japan decided not to travel in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Nagaoka Fireworks Show was scheduled for the evening of Sunday, March 8 over Waikiki Beach.

“The technicians from Japan needed to operate the fireworks show have decided to refrain from traveling abroad over the next two weeks out of respect to the recommendations of Japan’s government to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus,” the Honolulu Festival Foundation said in a news release.

None of the technicians who operate the fireworks show have been infected with the coronavirus, the release said.

“Unfortunately, we learned today that we will be unable to stage the fireworks show at this year’s Honolulu Festival,” Hiroyuki “Keith” Kitagawa, president of the Honolulu Festival Foundation, said. “We know this is disappointing news for the many people who were looking forward to this tremendous fireworks celebration and ask for everyone’s understanding. We completely support and respect the decision of the fireworks’ technicians and ask that others do so as well. They do a great job every year making the fireworks show an incredible finale of the Honolulu Festival.”