Halloween is the one time of year when stars can drop their normal style and become someone totally different. They really go all out to be different, using wild makeup, huge costumes and fun nods to movies or music. Some keep it silly and playful, while others spend hours making sure every tiny detail is perfect.
In 2026, we saw a bit of everything. Celebrities dressed up as cartoon characters, scary movie villains and famous singers. A few even surprised everyone with super personal or random outfits that got a lot of attention. The best costumes do more than just look good in pictures, they get fans talking, bring familiar characters to life and even start new trends.
MORE: Joe Burrow’s model girlfriend Olivia Ponton catches attention with Halloween costume
With so many cool ideas out there this year, picking the top costumes wasn’t easy. Some stars tried to look exactly like the real thing, while others added their own fun spin. Here are the 10 best celebrity Halloween costumes of 2026.
10. Lizzo as Seiko Ayase from Dandadan
Lizzo chose an anime-inspired costume for Halloween 2026. The Grammy-winning singer paid tribute to Seiko Ayase, the grandmother character from the supernatural action series Dandadan.
The choice stands out because it moves beyond the usual celebrity costumes inspired by Western films and pop stars. Anime has continued to attract a wider audience, and Lizzo’s look reflects that growing interest.
Seiko is a recognizable character for fans of the series. Choosing her also gives the costume a more specific connection to anime culture. The available details do not provide a full breakdown of Lizzo’s outfit, but the character choice makes this one worth noting.
9. Paris Hilton as Belle with her children as Chip, Lumiere
Paris Hilton brought a Disney-inspired family costume to Halloween 2026. She dressed as Belle from “Beauty and the Beast,” wearing an elaborate ball gown and dark hair.
Her children, Phoenix and London, joined her as Chip and Lumière. The coordinated outfits connected all three characters to the same story.
Unlike costumes built around horror or celebrity impersonations, this look focused on a familiar animated classic. Hilton’s gown gave the outfit its main visual appeal, while her children’s costumes completed the theme.
It was a well-planned family look, even if it took a more traditional approach than some of the other entries on this list.
8. Victoria Justice & Madison Grace Reed as ‘The Shining’ twins
Victoria Justice and sister Madison Grace Reed brought several Halloween looks to the 2026 celebrations. Justice held her Halloween party on Tuesday, Oct. 13, giving the season an early start.
One of Justice’s looks featured a shredded black outfit, chain-trimmed boots and a single glowing eye. Reed, meanwhile, dressed as a bloody prom queen inspired by Carrie from the horror classic “Carrie.”
The pair also appeared as the twins from “The Shining.” Other reported looks included a zombie bride and a mushroom-inspired costume for Justice.
Their variety helped them stand out. Rather than relying on one outfit, the sisters explored several horror and Halloween themes. Justice has also made elaborate costumes a recurring part of her celebrations.
7. Chloe Bailey as Hot Meg Griffin
Chloe Bailey gave “Family Guy” fans a Halloween look inspired by Meg Griffin’s more daring appearance, often called Hot Meg.
Her outfit featured a tiny denim skirt, a pink strapless bra, silver knee-high boots, Meg’s pink beanie and her familiar glasses. The combination closely followed the character’s look.
The costume worked because Bailey kept the key details recognizable. The beanie and glasses linked the outfit to Meg, while the skirt, top and boots completed the updated version of the cartoon character.
Several entertainment outlets highlighted the look. Its appeal came from a faithful re-creation of a specific character rather than a broad or loosely inspired costume.
MORE: Dancing with the Stars 35 spoilers: Horror Movie Night song list & dance styles
6. Janelle Monáe’s swamp-zombie transformation
Janelle Monáe continued building her reputation for elaborate Halloween looks with a swamp-zombie transformation featured in a Los Angeles Times shoot.
The costume included a green face, oversized eyes and a top hat. Monáe also wore a swirly fake eye and a wound on her neck that appeared to spurt blood. The full transformation took about four hours.
She reportedly called the look “Hostess With the Mostess.” Its unusual details gave the costume a mix of horror and dark humor.
The look was connected to Wondaween, Monáe’s second annual Halloween celebration, which has a creature-carnival theme. However, the available reporting focuses on the preparty looks, and the main event’s date could not be confirmed. That leaves room for the ranking to change as more costumes appear.
5. Cyndi Lauper as Ursula
Cyndi Lauper brought a performance element to her Halloween appearance at the New York Restoration Project’s Hulaween gala.
She initially wore a masquerade-inspired outfit for the photo call alongside Bette Midler. Inside the event, Lauper changed into a detailed Ursula costume inspired by Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.”
The transformation was part of a live performance. Lauper performed a reworked version of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” titled “Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun.”
That made the costume more than a look for photographs. It became part of the entertainment itself, with the Ursula character fitting the Halloween setting.
4. Benito Skinner and Owen Thiele as PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson
Benito Skinner and Owen Thiele re-created the looks worn by PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson in the “Stateside” music video.
Their costumes featured plaid skirts and airbrushed baby tees, matching the video’s styling. The choice also connected Halloween to one of 2026’s notable music trends.
The “Stateside” remix reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and spent a week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200. Its popularity grew further after Alysa Liu skated to the song at the Olympic exhibition gala.
The costumes captured a recognizable pop culture moment from the year. Their timing also made them especially relevant to fans who had followed the song’s rise.
3. Paris Hilton as Britney Spears at the 2001 VMAs
Paris Hilton returned to one of Britney Spears’ most famous performances by re-creating her “I’m a Slave 4 U” look from the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards.
The original performance took place on Sept. 6, 2001. Hilton’s tribute included a live python named Tango, whose handler reportedly put its weight at around 30 to 40 pounds.
She unveiled the costume on Oct. 23, 2026. The snake added an important detail to the re-creation because Spears famously performed with a python during the original show.
There is some disagreement over how many consecutive years Hilton has paid tribute to Spears. Billboard describes 2026 as her fourth year in a row, while The Zoe Report counts three. A report documenting Hilton’s 2024 “Toxic” costume supports the longer count.
The re-creation stood out for its attention to detail and its place in Hilton’s ongoing Halloween tradition.
2. North West as Natalie Nunn; Natalie Nunn as North West
North West chose “Bad Girls Club” star Natalie Nunn as one of her Halloween inspirations. Her costume included a prosthetic chin, an angled bob and a “Baddies” necklace.
West shared the look with the caption “1st Halloween costume.” She later posted another outfit inspired by Raven from “Teen Titans.”
The Nunn costume became part of a wider exchange between North, Kim Kardashian and Nunn herself. After North’s post, Nunn responded by dressing as West, complete with turquoise pigtails and a studded collar.
The back-and-forth gave the costumes a story that went beyond the outfits. Billboard described the connection as a triangle.
The timing also helped the moment gain attention. West’s look appeared one day after Kim revealed her own Halloween transformation.
MORE: Trinity Rodman’s Halloween costume puts female spin on nostalgic cartoon character
1. Kim Kardashian as North West
Kim Kardashian’s decision to dress as her daughter, North West, became one of the most widely covered celebrity Halloween moments of 2026.
She wore a long teal-blue wig and dramatic gothic-style makeup. False eyelashes and face gems recreated the look of North’s facial piercings. Spiky jewelry, charm-studded black nails and black grills completed the outfit.
Kim shared the costume the night before her 46th birthday. The look also addressed the online attention surrounding North’s blue-haired style and distinctive fashion choices.
Rather than choosing a familiar film character or horror figure, Kim recreated a look associated with her own daughter. That personal connection gave the costume a story that many other celebrity outfits lacked.
The choice also helped spark the exchange involving West and Nunn. With its detailed styling, family connection and place at the center of a wider Halloween conversation, Kim’s transformation takes the top spot among the celebrity costumes featured here.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —
