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Halloween costumes 2026
By The Trends Incoming team
The most popular Halloween costumes of 2026 from NRF's survey, next to the fastest-rising searches from Google Frightgeist, for adults, kids and pets. Halloween is Saturday, Oct 31.
What's trending in Halloween costumes 2026
Halloween costume rankings are in
Witches and vampires top NRF's survey of what adults will wear, Spider-Man rules for kids, and Google's trending list is led by Buddy the Unicorn and NeeDoh. Halloween is Saturday, Oct 31.
Dunkin' Spider Donut is back
The Halloween Spider Donut returns, plus a purple Berry Battie drink.
Ramalama costume walk
A creepy low-angle shot zooms out to reveal the Halloween fit, set to Róisín Murphy. Easy to copy, hard to stop watching.
The 12-foot Skelly returns
Home Depot's giant skeleton is back, now with app-controlled moves and LCD eyes. $299 original, $379 upgraded.
Format fragmentation
No single mega-challenge this month. Instead, lots of micro-trends: costume transitions, K-pop revivals, cat edits.
The quick version
Halloween is Saturday, October 31, 2026, and there are two very different costume lists out there. The NRF survey tells you what people plan to wear (witches and vampires win, again). Google's Frightgeist tells you what's surging in searches (hello, Buddy the Unicorn). We put them side by side so you can tell a classic from a moment.
| Halloween 2026 | Saturday, October 31 |
|---|---|
| Total spending (NRF forecast) | $13.5 billion, about $115.14 a person |
| Costume spending | $4.4 billion; 71% plan to buy a costume |
| Adult costumes | $2 billion |
| Kids' costumes | $1.5 billion |
| Pet costumes | $0.92 billion; 23% plan to dress a pet |
| Daylight saving time ends | Sunday, Nov 1, 2026, the morning after Halloween |
Planned vs. trending: the side-by-side
| # | Adults plan to wear (NRF) | Kids plan to wear (NRF) | Top trending searches (Google Frightgeist) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Witch (4.8M people) | Spider-Man (4.6M kids) | Buddy the Unicorn |
| 2 | Vampire (4.2M) | Superhero (2.3M) | NeeDoh |
| 3 | Batman (2M) | Princess (2.2M) | Nikki (Obsession) |
| 4 | Spider-Man (1.5M) | Witch (1.6M) | Agamemnon (The Odyssey) |
| 5 | Ghost (1.4M) | Ghost (1.6M) | Lily Love Braids (Poppy Playtime) |
NRF figures are from its survey of 7,889 consumers, Sept 1 to 9, 2026. Frightgeist ranks searches that are rising, not total popularity.
What the two lists tell you
If you want to blend in at the party, go NRF: witch, vampire, a superhero. If you want the "oh my gosh, I love that" reaction, go Frightgeist. The rest of Google's top 10 is Oliver Tree, Verity from Minecraft, Carl from Dungeon Crawler Carl, Disco Scooby-Doo and Hazel Hook from Descendants. Dolly Parton, who died in August, tops Google's kids list and is No. 2 for pets, and Michael Jackson's Thriller look is at a 10-year search high.
The pet report
NRF says the pumpkin (11.6%) and the hot dog (5.9%) are still the top pet costumes, with ghosts, bats and spiders climbing. Google's trending pet searches are pure chaos: a centipede, Dolly Parton, Bullseye from Toy Story and, yes, a can of Diet Coke.
Shopping tips
NRF says discount stores are the top place people shop for Halloween, followed by costume shops and online. The closer you get to the 31st, the thinner the racks, so the popular kids' sizes go first. Trick-or-treat hours are set locally, so check your town's announcement.
Keep the spooky going
- Our explainer: why these costumes are blowing up
- Crystal Lake: the Friday the 13th prequel to binge
- The 12-foot Skelly and home decor trends
- Cats, the internet's favorite costume models
- TikTok dances and costume walks
- More pop culture
Follow the conversation
Quick answers
What is the most popular Halloween costume in 2026?
For adults, a witch, with about 4.8 million people planning to wear one, per NRF. For kids, Spider-Man, at about 4.6 million.
What is the top trending Halloween costume on Google in 2026?
Buddy the Unicorn tops Google's 2026 Frightgeist list of rising costume searches, followed by NeeDoh.
How much will Americans spend on Halloween in 2026?
NRF forecasts $13.5 billion, including $4.4 billion on costumes.
What day is Halloween 2026?
Saturday, October 31, 2026. Trick-or-treat hours are set locally.
What is the most popular pet costume for 2026?
A pumpkin, chosen by 11.6% of pet owners who plan to dress a pet, per NRF. A hot dog is second.