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Halloween 2026: What will we see? 

Sophia Kelly Student Contributor, Loyola University Maryland
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at LUM chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

2026 has been a huge year for pop culture. The release of highly anticipated blockbusters, such as The Odyssey and Michael, many major artists going on tour, and, of course, TikTok constantly feeding us with viral moments and resurging clips from old TV shows or movies. All this said, there is a multitude of Halloween costumes we can expect to see this year based solely on the media. Here are the costumes that I think are going to be the biggest hits this weekend.  

  1. Nikki from Obsession 

Obsession made over $400 million worldwide this year when it hit theaters May 15, 2026. All I saw over TikTok was people recreating the infamous “nice date” scene when Nikki is yelling “No” repeatedly at Bear. Nikki had multiple outfits that could be a costume – the restaurant scene, the party scene, and the end of the movie. Most of these costumes are relatively easy and you could have some of these items in your closet. Just look in your closet, find some fake blood, and you’re ready! To go along with this, I’m sure that many girls will make this a couples costume, their boyfriends dressing as Bear.  

  1. The Odyssey Characters 

With The Odyssey being the most anticipated release this year, there will be plenty of Greek mythology themed costumes this year. Simple costumes like a basic Greek god ranging all the way to grand replicate costumes of Odysseus or Penelope I think will be popular. There is such a plethora of characters that people can be inspired by from this movie alone that I am sure people who really love Greek mythology will get creative! 
 

  1. Hannah Montana 

This year, Hannah Montana celebrated its 20th anniversary alongside a special featuring Miley Cyrus. This is only one of many moments this year where we saw a resurgence of old pop culture moments. Of course, many of Hannah Montana’s outfits were iconic and there are so many ways to dress like her. This costume also works for blondes and brunettes, you can dress as Miley if you are a brunette!  

  1. Dolly Parton 

Dolly was such an important figure in pop culture and society. She created a library that gifted children books for free, openly supported marginalized groups, like LGBTQ+ communities, when it was stigmatized, and wrote so many extremely successful songs. Dolly was also known for her iconic outfits which were extravagant and colorful up until her last appearance. Inspiration for a Dolly costume is widespread, her career spanned over 50 years and you can decide to dress as ‘70’s or her iconic concert outfits! 

  1. King Kylie  

All over TikTok this year, I saw that “2026 is the new 2016.” Furthermore, people labeled Kylie Jenner’s “King Kylie” era as the epitome 2016, with the colorful wigs, colorful lips, and Snapchat filters. I am sure that any 2016 themed costume will popular this year, but specifically Kylie because of her presence in 2016 and now. She is dating Timothee Chalamet and just walked the Victoria Secret Fashion Show in the $50 million fantasy bra. Her influence is strong and people will definitely be taking inspiration! 

Sophia is a first-year Biology major at Loyola University Maryland, originally from Long Island, NY. She is currently on the Pre-Health track, hoping to grow a career in the healthcare field in her future!

Sophia has loved writing since high school and is so excited to get creative with Her Campus. She was an editor in high school and can't wait to jump back into a team of writers!

When not doing schoolwork or activities, Sophia loves going to workout classes, going to a coffee shop, reading a thriller, and building flower Lego's.