City officials are working to quickly and conveniently shuttle thousands of people into Waikiki for what could be the largest event of its kind, Don Ho's memorial service and tribute concert on Saturday.

With a potential crowd of 20,000 to 25,000 flooding onto Queen's Surf Beach on the diamondhead side of Waikiki, city spokesman Bill Brennan said, "It will be maybe 1 1/2 to two times as many folks as we've seen down there."

More details will be announced in the next few days, but city officials plan to shuttle people from Kapi'olani Community College into Waikiki for the concert and bring in temporary portable toilets, Brennan said.

There will be no parking on the makai side of Kalakaua Avenue between Kapahulu Avenue and the Dillingham fountain.

Honolulu Police Department spokesman Capt. Frank Fujii said, "We've never had a service like this before."

Capt. Jeff Richards of HPD's Waikiki substation expects that most of the people attending the free outdoor concert for Ho will be well-behaved.

Police will enforce the area's alcohol ban, Richards said.

"It's going to be a mellow crowd," Richards said. "It is a celebration of his life. ... But where are they going to park? It will be people's willingness to put up with traffic and having to find parking."

Ho's ashes will be scattered offshore between 5:30 and 6 p.m., before the start of an all-star concert of Hawai'i entertainers.

Separately, the nearby Waikiki Shell will be hosting a two-hour Exodus Reggae Series featuring Shaggy, beginning at 4 p.m.

LIVE TV BROADCAST

The size of the Ho service could be unprecedented. The most popular Sunset On The Beach events at Queen's Surf Beach have attracted about 10,000 people, Brennan said.

There also have been sizable marathons and other large area events in the past, but they may be surpassed by the crowd that comes to honor Ho, who died of heart failure on April 14 at the age of 76.

Two Honolulu TV stations — KGMB and KHNL — said yesterday they plan live broadcasts of at least parts of the private services for Ho, the scattering of his ashes in the waters off Waikiki Beach and the concert.

The City Council is considering naming a park or public facility after Ho.

Beachwalk Triangle Park, at the corner of Beach Walk and Kalakaua Avenue, is one site under consideration.