2025 Halloween Costume Ideas Based On The Year's Biggest Pop Culture Moments
Some Halloween costumes never go out of style — sexy nurse uniforms and pointy-hat witch ensembles being classic go-tos that have evolved over the years. Still, just as some of our favorite female characters have given rise to iconic Halloween costumes, it can be super fun to craft a distinctly of-the-moment ensemble. While 2024 had its fair share of costume-worthy pop culture moments, the new year has brought a whole slew of viral media, celebrity moments, and iconic memes to inspire your next spooky season 'fit.
Between music releases from Chappell Roan and Lorde to box office successes like "Sinners" and "Superman," the year has kept us fed when it comes to new media. At the same time, Katy Perry's out-of-touch behavior on the all-female Blue Origin mission and Sydney Sweeney's questionable American Eagle collab are great examples of how celebs kept us cringing this year. Still, not everything has been negative; Taylor Swift's viral engagement to Travis Kelce and Beyonce winning Album of the Year at the Grammys rank as major pop culture highlights.
Between all the highs and lows, we've curated a list of Halloween costumes inspired by some of the most notable additions to 2025 pop culture. While it was difficult narrowing down our list to just the most costume-worthy, it'll be even harder choosing just one for this year's festivities.
Channel Elphaba or Glinda for a wickedly cool Halloween costume
Just as the press tour and premiere of "Wicked" dominated pop culture throughout 2024, the impending release of "Wicked: For Good" in November 2025 makes Elphaba and Glinda great costume options for Halloween this year. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to DIY the iconic characters, with an Elphaba costume needing a black dress or outfit, a witch's hat, and green makeup or tights. For a Glinda look, all that's required is a pink, frilly dress, a crown, and a wand. You can always pick up a pre-made costume, too, such as Spirit Halloween's "Wicked: For Good" Deluxe Elphaba Costume or Blue Glinda Dress Costume.
@sharnaewilson 💚💗💚💗 @theplanetegg #wicked #wickedmovie #arianagrande #cynthiaerivo #bestiegoals #halloweencostume #blackgirlcontent #couplecostumes #popular #glinda #elphaba #defyinggravity #blondegirls #waittheydontloveyoulikeiloveyou
Bring the vampire vibes with a Sinners-inspired look
"Sinners" brought another major movie moment this year, with the Ryan Coogler film obtaining critical success after debuting in April. Michael B. Jordan plays smooth criminals and iconic twin duo Smoke and Stack, whose color-coded 1930s ensembles double as great costume inspiration. If you're looking for something more horror-oriented, then the bloodied dress look from Hailee Steinfeld's character Mary makes for a great take on the classic vampire costume, with the same going for the suspender look from the movie's vampiric villain Remmick, played by Jack O'Connell. Any of these costumes would be head-turning on their own, but this is an especially great option for a group look.
@fangirl.central found all the sinners cosplayers at #sdcc #sinners #cosplay #comiccon
♬ Last Time (I Seen the Sun) – Alice Smith & Miles Caton & Sinners Movie
Get creepy and go as Gladys from Weapons
The hit movie "Weapons" brought us another horror-inspired costume idea this year, as the character design of Aunt Gladys is too iconic to pass up. Introduced in the second half of the Zach Cregger-directed movie, the mysterious witchy woman pairs her vivid red bob with exaggerated blue eyeshadow, cakey face makeup, and messy red lipstick. Her red pantsuit sticks out as a recreation-worthy outfit, but there are plenty of looks to draw inspiration from. Details like oversized sunglasses, a stick tied with hair and string, and a can of chicken noodle soup will really tie this eerie look together.
@karitrickster Auntie Gladys making her debut on Day 3 of SacAnime!🥴💅🏻#weapons #auntgladys #sacanime #fyp
Expect plenty of K-Pop Demon Hunter 'fits this Halloween
With the major popularity of Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters," we're predicting a Halloween full of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey cosplays this year. The bright colors and distinct designs of the kickass trio make for great inspiration, with Netflix releasing official costume pieces in collaboration with Spirit Halloween. At the same time, there are definitely ways you can recreate their looks at home, either by breaking out the sewing machine or collecting lookalike pieces. Their eye-catching colored hairstyles will arguably make or break the look, so make sure to invest in a wig or even some temporary hair color like Punky Color's Lush Lilac Temporary Hair Color Spray.
@jennifercosplay Here it is! How I made my Rumi wig from Kpop Demon Hunters 💜 Let me know if you have any questions in the comments! #kpopdemonhunters #kdh #rumi #rumiwig #wigtutorial #cosplaywigstyling #cosplaytutorial #doyouwearwigs #fyp #tutorial #wigstyling #crafting
♬ Golden – HUNTR/X & EJAE & AUDREY NUNA & REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast
Try on some officewear to cosplay as your Severance-based innie
Beyond the big screen, there were some notable television additions to the pop culture zeitgeist this year. The long-awaited sophomore season of "Severance" finally premiered in January, bringing us ten new episodes with characters like Adam Scott's Mark S. and Britt Lower's Helly R. These innies double as iconic, but relatively simple costume inspiration, with their officewear staples like turtlenecks and ties combined with Lumon badges being key elements. Additionally, if you don't want to cosplay as specific characters, you can have fun creating your very own business-attired alter ego.
@wwwendycom 🩸We devoured excellence. @Severance @Apple TV #cosplay #watchparty #severance #severancetvshow #appletv #lumon #reintergration
Channel Taylor Swift's newest album with a flashy showgirl outfit
With Taylor Swift releasing her twelfth studio album in early October, this Halloween is a great time to celebrate "The Life of a Showgirl" by dressing as a bedazzled and feathered showgirl. Swift's spicy album art provides plenty of inspiration for a costume, with fans able to recreate her skin-baring ensembles or opt for a teal-and-orange color scheme. The main pieces needed to pull off this look are a bedazzled dress or bodysuit, matching heels or boots, a flamboyant headpiece, and accessories like a feathered boa and chunky jewelry. If you're looking for a place to start, brands like Easy Tiger and EastnWest have pieces that definitely fit the showgirl vibe.
@nancyroseeee All of these showgirl costume ideas can be found on my @Amazon ✨ Not to mention that the album comes out October 3rd so there will be SO MANY great captions from lyrics ✨ #thelifeofashowgirl #showgirl #taylorswift #costumeideas
Pay homage to Kendrick Lamar's iconic Superbowl performance
Kendrick Lamar gave an amazing, symbolism-drenched performance for the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, bringing on stars like Samuel L. Jackson and SZA, and calling out his rival Drake in the song "Not Like Us." Fans were already attempting to recreate his stage 'fit, which featured a custom varsity jacket and bootcut jeans, in the weeks after the performance, but we think this Halloween is another great time to show love for the iconic pop culture moment. While there are replicas of the Martine Rose-designed jacket floating around, this is a look you can recreate with vintage items already in your closet or found at your local consignment shops. Just make sure you really tie things together with a backwards cap and gold chain.
@joannesunnyk Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl inspired fit 🏈🏈🏈#superbowl #kendricklamarjeans
Play into the Labubu hype with a mischievous creature costume
2025 has truly been the year of Labubu, with the mischievous blind box collectibles gaining celebrity approval while taking over TikTok. In this way, the simple but iconic design of the monster toys makes for a great Halloween costume. Outlets like Dolls Kill actually sell Labubu costumes, but you can also combine a pair of ears with furry clothing items, like a faux fur coat or sherpa jacket, for a slightly more DIY look. If you really want to commit to the mischievous look, you can also recreate the sharp-tooth Labubu smile with makeup.
@strutscostumes #labubu for Halloween?🌟🥹 #labubudressup #halloween2025 #costumeideas #halloweencostumeideas
Bring the doll box trend to real life with a little DIY
Earlier this year, artists began creating illustrations of themselves as packaged dolls in response to an AI trend, with the faux products, deemed "starter packs," coming equipped with meaningful items reflective of their lives. This social media fad, as seen from artists like @bysunnywu and @mrsbutterd, doubles as a great costume idea, especially for those who love to get crafty for Halloween. Lifesize toy boxes are not a new costume idea, but adding a personalized touch by making yourself the toy speaks to the creativity and personality of the anti-AI trend.
@meganzietz how to make a life size Spice Girls Doll Box #spicegirls #halloweencostume #y2k #diycostumeidea #diycostumes @Spice Girls
Make a last-minute couple's costume out of the Coldplay concert affair
Back in July, a couple went viral after being caught embracing on the jumbotron at a Coldplay concert, with their panicked reaction clearly conveying that their PDA wasn't something they wanted captured on screen. The internet quickly got to work investigating the individuals, uncovering that they were Andy Byron, then-CEO of Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the company's chief people officer, both married to other people.
@dailymail Chris Martin caught one camera-shy couple by surprise as he addressed the audience at a Coldplay concert – and joked that they were 'either having an affair' or were just very bashful. As the frontman panned his 'kiss cam' around the crowd at Gillette Stadium in Boston on Wednesday, the pair looked horrified to be seen by thousands on the big screen. What do you think? Were they just caught in 4K? 🎥 calebu2 / TMX #news #viral #coldplay #affair #cheating
This much-memed moment would make for a great couple's Halloween costume, especially if you find yourself needing something simple and last-minute. A black tank top and blue polo are all that you need to recreate this couple's costume, but be sure to include the wedding rings. Bonus points if you make a faux-kiss cam frame made out of cardboard.