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Halloween is almost here so if you haven't already figured out your costume, now is your chance. If you're still searching for the perfect person, place or thing to dress up as this year but having a hard time coming up with ideas, take a look at what others are planning for their own spooky, or not-so-spooky, costumes.
Google Trends analyzed data and search interest in the U.S. comparing September 2026 to September 2025 to calculate the top trending costumes for Halloween this year for its annual "Frightgeist" list, and the top choices may surprise you.
The top costume ideas drew from some of the biggest pop culture phenomenon of the past year, from a viral squeezable stress-relief toy and late musician Oliver Tree, who tragically passed away earlier this year, to horror-adjacent characters like Inde Navarrette's Nikki from Obsession and Buddy the Unicorn, which despite its whimsical name and friendly appearance, comes from the 2026 horror film Buddy.
These are the 10 top trending Halloween costumes for 2026:
- Buddy the Unicorn
- Needoh
- Nikki (from Obsession)
- Agamemnon (from The Odyssey)
- Lily Love Braids (from Poppy Playtime)
- Oliver Tree
- Verity (from Minecraft)
- Carl (from Dungeon Crawler Carl)
- Disco Scooby Doo
- Hazel Hook (from Descendants)
Check out the full breakdown of most popular costumes by region on Google Frightgeist.
Keep the spooky vibes going all day long with iHeartRadio's Halloween Radio station or soundtrack your next gathering of goblins and ghouls with the perfect Halloween Party Playlist.