The Best Black Celebrity Halloween Costumes of 2026
Halloween 2026 is officially upon us, and Black Hollywood has already raised the bar for creative storytelling. With the holiday falling on Saturday, the weekend rollouts started early—and the references run deep.
From Janelle Monáe’s masterclass in special-effects prosthetics to Keke Palmer’s sharp-witted cinematic homages, our favorite stars aren’t just wearing costumes; they’re delivering full-scale productions. Meanwhile, Gen Z trendsetters like North West and Chlöe Bailey are proving that nostalgic pop-culture deep cuts and high-glam execution make the ultimate pairing.
Below, we’ve tracked, curated, and broken down the most inventive, standout looks from Black Hollywood this spooky season—including the behind-the-scenes stylists and designers who brought them to life.
North West
North West was one of the earliest contenders for the holiday, opting to dress up as “Baddies” creator Natalie Nunn. And honestly, it looks like we’re seeing double because the resemblance is uncanny!
Related: Black-Led Scary Shows to Stream This Halloween Season
Natalie Nunn
In a move that plenty would call an uno reverse, Natalie Nunn decided to go as North West and popped out in the teen’s signature blue hair and emo attire! Who knew these two would be twinning like this!
Chloe Bailey
Chloe Bailey went ahead and showed people she’s coming hard and “Family Guy”-ish by dressing up as the “Hot” version of Megan from the show. The boots are absolutely taking it here!
Keke Palmer- Costume 1
While the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show may be over this year, that didn’t stop Keke Palmer from becoming an angel anyway! After seeing this, we’re honestly shocked that she hasn’t been picked as one before anyway!
Keke Palmer- Costume 2
Now Keke wouldn’t be Keke if she didn’t include her son Leo in her costume! And that’s exactly why she decided to dress him up as a mini-Michael Jackson in the “Scream” music video while she went as Janet.
Craig Melvin
As is annual tradition on the “TODAY Show,” co-host Craig Melvin decided to be the Olympic version of Snoop Dogg for the Halloween holiday. But in a funny twist, a fan of the show opted to be Melvin himself from when he was a teenager playing violin.
Olandria
Olandria “Always Slaying” Carthen decided to get deeper into her model bag and popped out as Naomi Campbell in her June 1990 Vogue ad where she did the iconic pose with dalmatians and wearing black and white.
Lizzo
Lizzo decided to “do it big” and lean more into her love of anime and came through as Granny Seiko Ayase from “Dandadan,” complete with an exagerrated bust and the signature silver ponytail.
Owen Thiele
“Adults” star Owen Thiele decided to go as pop star PinkPantheress for the Halloween holiday. His bestie and “Overcompensating” costar Benito Skinner also dressed up as a singer: Zara Larsson.
Janelle Monae
Janelle Monáe, a.k.a. the queen of Halloween, is partnering with Bacardí Rum this year to be the “Ghostess with the Mostess” for her annual Wondaween party. She gave us an early look at her costume, but knowing the “Float” singer, this is just the first of many!
Bob the Drag Queen & Monét
If you thought only Shawn and Marlon Wayans were the only people who could successfully pull off the “White Chicks” look, think again! Bob the Drag Queen and Monét X Change just proved they’re strong contenders too!
Karl Anthony Towns & Jordyn Woods
Newlyweds Karl-Anthony Towns and Jordyn Woods opted to go full “Game of Thrones” by dressing up as Night King and a White Walker, respectively! They even tapped in the show’s costume designer and special effects makeup department head to really give the looks authenticity.
Janelle James
While this one is somewhat of a cheat code, it was just too good not to include. “Abbott Elementary” star Janelle James was Lil Kim for the show’s Halloween episode and we’ve got to say that she looks stellar in this cobalt blue look!
