Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and scrolling through TikTok makes one thing clear: the most talked-about costumes of 2026 come straight from this year’s television, cinema and internet culture. Vanity Fair Italia has rounded up the ideas creators keep returning to, and Google’s annual Frightgeist search rankings point in much the same direction. As the magazine notes, the usual debate is back too: some of these looks are more fun than frightening, better suited to a fancy-dress party than a truly spooky night.
Screen favourites, from hockey to horror
Television has supplied plenty of couple costumes. Prime Video’s hockey romance Off Campus features its own Halloween episode, and the pairings from it, including a vampire and a bunny, are already popular choices. Fans of Heated Rivalry are recreating Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov with opposing hockey jerseys, gloves and helmets, while Euphoria continues to inspire, this time with darker wedding-themed looks.
For anyone wanting a properly scary result, Nikki from the horror film Obsession may steal the night. Google ranked her among the fastest-rising costume searches in the United States, and the look is simple: black shorts, a zebra-print top, black boots and a convincing splash of fake blood. Bonus points if you can quote the lines that went viral as TikTok audio.
Big-screen glamour and Greek gods
Cinema has been generous. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has turned Greek mythology into a group-costume goldmine, with Odysseus, Athena, Penelope, Circe and even the Cyclops all on the list, and Agamemnon high in Google’s rankings. Reviewers point out that Nolan’s Greece is earthy rather than shiny, so think weathered leather, bronze and off-white linen rather than gold laurel crowns. Meanwhile The Devil Wears Prada 2 has brought back Miranda Priestly’s silver bob, dark coat and oversized sunglasses, and the Michael Jackson biopic offers everything from the red jacket of Thriller to the black-and-white look of Billie Jean.
The finishing touches
Whichever character you choose, accessories do the heavy lifting. A Greek goddess look comes alive with statement earrings and a few stacked bracelets, while a vampire or gothic bride calls for a deep red garnet ring or a dramatic pendant necklace. Keep your phone and fake blood close at hand in a leather crossbody bag. As Vanity Fair Italia concludes, the most important accessory of all is a sense of humour.
Sources: Vanity Fair Italia, “Halloween 2026: idee per costumi ispirati alla pop culture, direttamente da TikTok” by Alessia Amorosini (28 October 2026); Variety, Google’s top trending Halloween costumes 2026; Reader’s Digest, Spirit Halloween’s most popular costumes of 2026; Yahoo Shopping, viral Halloween costume ideas for 2026. Featured image: AI-generated scene.
