Halloween 2024: K-Pop, Demons, and Green Witches Lead the Costume Charge
As Halloween approaches, the scramble for the perfect costume is well underway, with trends showing a fascinating blend of cutting-edge pop culture and nostalgic favorites. This year’s Halloween is expected to shatter spending records, with the National Retail Federation projecting a staggering $13.1 billion in Halloween-related purchases, surpassing 2023’s $12.2 billion record. The holiday isn’t just for children anymore—51% of adults who celebrate Halloween plan to dress up this year, and 34% intend to costume their pets as well. With costumes accounting for 71% of all Halloween expenditures, the pressure to find the perfect outfit is higher than ever.
The hottest children’s costume this Halloween comes straight from Netflix’s record-breaking hit, with Rumi from “KPop Demon Hunters” taking the top spot. This purple-haired protagonist, who belongs to a K-pop trio moonlighting as demon hunters, has captured children’s imaginations after the show became Netflix’s most-watched film ever with over 236 million views. Major retailers including Amazon and Spirit Halloween have capitalized on this trend, with Spirit partnering directly with Netflix to offer exclusive costumes from the series. Other popular children’s costumes include the timeless racecar driver and, interestingly, the alien hunter from the Predator franchise—a trend likely boosted by the upcoming “Predator: Bandlands” release in November.
For adults, the costume landscape has shifted from traditional horror icons to more contemporary terrors. Art the Clown from the “Terrifier” franchise has dethroned Pennywise as the most sought-after clown costume this year. This surge in popularity isn’t surprising considering “Terrifier 3” recently became the highest-grossing unrated film ever, earning more than $50 million worldwide on a modest $2 million budget—despite being so graphic that viewers reportedly vomited and walked out of theaters during premieres. The most popular Art costumes feature his signature black and white harlequin outfit adorned with blood splatters. Other trending adult costumes include animated character Kim Possible and characters from “101 Dalmatians,” showing that nostalgia continues to drive many costume choices.
Pet costumes continue their meteoric rise in popularity, with more than half of pet owners (53%) now purchasing Halloween outfits for their furry friends, according to a Metlife Pet Insurance survey. One in five pet parents spends over $50 on their pet’s Halloween costume, demonstrating the growing importance of including the whole family—fur members included—in the holiday festivities. This year, Gizmo from “Gremlins” ranks among the most popular dog costumes, with Amazon offering numerous variations averaging around $29. Other trending pet costumes include Jake the Dog from “Adventure Time” and costumes based on Ty brand stuffed animals, showing that pop culture influences extend beyond human costume choices.
Classic horror icons are experiencing a renaissance this Halloween season, with Ghostface from the “Scream” franchise seeing renewed interest ahead of the seventh film’s planned 2026 release. The costume likely received additional attention due to the viral “Ghostface trend” on TikTok over the past two years, where users encouraged their partners to don the iconic mask for humorous and sometimes risqué videos involving role-playing scenarios. The Joker maintains his perennial popularity among boy’s costumes, while a surprising contender has emerged in the form of the angry golfer from Adam Sandler’s “Happy Gilmore.” This unexpected trend can be attributed to “Happy Gilmore 2” breaking Nielsen streaming records in August with 2.9 billion viewing minutes during its opening weekend.
For girls, this Halloween has become the season of the witch—specifically, Elphaba from the 2024 blockbuster “Wicked.” Based on the beloved Broadway musical, the film’s success and Cynthia Erivo’s Oscar-nominated performance have catapulted this green-skinned protagonist to must-have costume status. Retailers like Amazon offer various iterations of Elphaba’s iconic pointy hat and cloak ensemble, some including green sleeves and leggings to minimize the need for face paint. The emerald theme continues with Batman villainess Poison Ivy also ranking among the most popular costumes for girls. Completing the trending lineup are “Mean Girls”-inspired outfits, riding the wave of the box office-topping 2024 remake. These trends reflect how quickly modern media influences Halloween choices, with costumes often serving as cultural timestamps for the year’s most impactful entertainment.
