The Best Pop Culture Halloween Costumes for 2026: From Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Shrubs to Taylor Swift’s Knicks Shirt

Expect to see plenty of hockey jerseys, hospital scrubs and suspiciously elaborate shrubbery on the streets this Halloween. Some revelers will be channeling Ilya and Shane from “Heated Rivalry,” others will be pulling overnight shifts as the doctors of “The Pitt” — and the most committed friend groups may skip dressing as Bad Bunny altogether and show up as the bushes from his Super Bowl halftime show.

As usual, the year’s biggest movies and TV shows provide a gold mine of costume inspiration. Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” offers a particularly cinematic couples costume in Zendaya’s Athena and Matt Damon’s Odysseus, while “KPop Demon Hunters” practically begs for a three-person HUNTR/X get-up. Elsewhere, “Off Campus,” “Backrooms,” “Euphoria” and “Widow’s Bay” offer options ranging from exceedingly easy to the kind of niche reference that will earn approving nods from fellow obsessives.

Musicians, meanwhile, have supplied some of the year’s most immediately recognizable looks. Harry Styles’ tiny red shorts from the “Dance No More” video are destined for Halloween parties, while Olivia Rodrigo’s “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love” album cover offers another ready-made pop-star transformation. And for anyone whose costume philosophy is simply “more rhinestones,” there’s always Dolly Parton.

Shop the best pop-culture Halloween costumes for 2026 below:

Nikki in ‘Obsession’

Channel Inde Navarrette’s Nikki with the horror hit’s instantly recognizable red-and-black zebra halter, black bottoms and plenty of gold jewelry. Bonus points for a Willow prop — and a little fake blood if you want to take things in a more sinister direction.

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Bushes

For one of the year’s most absurdly specific group costumes, skip dressing as Bad Bunny himself and go as the greenery surrounding him during his Super Bowl performance. All you really need is head-to-toe green, some faux foliage and friends willing to commit to the bit.

Athena and Odysseus in ‘The Odyssey’

Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” gives couples an elevated alternative to the standard toga costume: think weathered linen, leather and patinated bronze rather than pristine Grecian robes. Matt Damon’s battle-worn Odysseus and Zendaya’s draped, earth-toned Athena make an especially good pairing.

‘Celebrity Row’ at MSG

Sometimes the best celebrity costume is also the easiest: recreate Taylor Swift and her crew’s matching Stevie Nicks concert shirts for a group look that requires little more than merch, jeans and Swift-level enthusiasm. It’s niche enough to reward anyone who spent the year chronically online.

Hannah and Garret in ‘Off Campus’

Prime Video’s buzzy hockey romance makes Hannah and Garrett an easy couples costume: she can channel Hannah’s signature campus looks while he throws on a Briar U hockey jersey. For a more overtly Halloween-ready option, recreate the show’s bunny-and-magician pairing.

Operatives in ‘Backrooms’

Hazmat suits have rarely felt more zeitgeisty. Suit up in protective gear, respirators and utility equipment to become one of the operatives venturing into the fluorescent-lit nightmare of “Backrooms” — particularly effective if your entire friend group commits.

Magick in ‘Euphoria’

If your Halloween philosophy is “more is more,” Magick offers plenty to work with: dramatic makeup, maximalist styling and the kind of hyper-specific fashion choices that have always made “Euphoria” a costume gold mine. Consider it an excuse to pull out every rhinestone in your makeup drawer.

Ilya and Shane in ‘Heated Rivalry’

The internet’s favorite hockey couple is practically made for a two-person costume. Go straightforward with rival hockey jerseys, or recreate one of Ilya and Shane’s more memorable off-ice looks for something that devoted “Heated Rivalry” fans will clock immediately.

‘The Pitt’ Doctors

Few costumes require less explaining — or shopping — than the doctors of “The Pitt.” Grab some medical scrubs, an ID badge and a stethoscope, then spend the evening looking appropriately exhausted for the full Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center effect.

Dolly Parton

Big blonde hair, bigger lashes, rhinestones and enough fringe to be visible from across the room: Dolly Parton remains one of pop culture’s most foolproof Halloween transformations. The trick is not to exercise restraint.

Olivia Rodrigo Album Cover

Rodrigo’s third album offers a very 2026 costume for anyone looking beyond her already Halloween-friendly “Sour” and “Guts” eras. Recreate the cover’s styling and makeup, then carry around a mock vinyl sleeve in case anyone needs the reference spelled out.

Harry Styles in ‘Dance No More’ Music Video

Possibly the easiest excuse you’ll ever get to wear tiny red shorts on Halloween. Styles spends much of the “Dance No More” video dancing in custom Marc Jacobs short-shorts and sneakers, making the look both instantly recognizable and surprisingly simple to copy.

Huntr/x in ‘Kpop Demon Hunters’

Rumi, Mira and Zoey are tailor-made for a three-person costume: colorful stagewear, pop-star hair and makeup and, naturally, demon-hunting accessories. Netflix has even released officially licensed HUNTR/X costumes, though the trio’s highly distinctive looks are ripe for DIY interpretations too.

Patricia in ‘Widow’s Bay’

Patricia’s distinctive “Widow’s Bay” look offers a more unexpected choice for anyone who wants their costume to inspire a few “wait, I know this” reactions. Nail the hair, wardrobe and character-specific accessories and let the year’s horror obsessives do the rest.