August has officially come and gone, and with the start of September and the fall season in full swing, that means one thing and one thing only: Halloween is just around the corner. With another breakout year for cinema and the resurgence of the 2010s sneaking up faster than I thought possible, this is bound to be a year of pop culture-inspired Halloween costumes you and your friends will reminisce on forever.
Some groups may be going for the funniest costumes of the season, while others are amped up about their group’s risqué, yet glamorous look — but one thing that holds true no matter what? All groups are looking to put their unique spin on Halloween. Finding the perfect pop culture-inspired costume can be stressful enough on your own, but when multiple people want to join in, it can get really tricky to come up with an idea.
In a time where pop culture moments run the internet, what better place to look for costume ideas than popular trends from earlier in the year? For anyone with a party coming up, or those who just need an excuse to dress up with their friends, this is the article for you. If you’re looking for pop culture-inspired group costumes, check out these 12 ideas to choose from this year.
Love Island is perfect for a group costume, whether your group is big or small. If you’re going for a dramatic costume this year, recreating this past season is perfect. Bonus points if you have a friend who’s willing to break out into a split.
The figure skaters that went viral for their fresh routines and iconic looks at the 2026 Winter Olympics could be a unique and fun costume idea for your trio this Halloween. Grab your leotards and tights and slick back that hair to bring out your inner Alysa Liu.
Earlier this year, four astronauts made history together as the first crew to travel around the moon in over 50 years. This moment was especially groundbreaking, as Victor Glover was the first person of color to travel to the moon, Christina Koch was the first woman, and Jeremy Hanson was the first Canadian. If you’ve got extra friends in your group, they can dress up as the moon, aliens, or stars, too.
Sabrina Carpenter is notorious for her unique and glamorous style, so it’s no surprise she’s on this list. The internet went wild after she featured Margaret Qualley and Madelyn Cline in her “House Tour” music video as the “Pretty Girl Cleanup Crew.” Tell your trio of girls to grab their favorite lingerie-inspired costume, a tall pair of heels, and a fake bejewelled weapon for the ultimate “Pretty Girl Cleanup Crew” look.
This one is for a group of any size, because the possibilities are endless! A group of famous Mikes all wearing “Hello, my name is Mike” nametags will be the comedic relief of your Halloween party. From Mike Wazowski to Michael Myers, the creative looks could be a standout this year.
The Michael Jackson biopic was huge this year, and Jackson himself hasn’t left the center of the pop culture world. With so many eras to choose from, I expect we will see a lot of Michael Jacksons roaming the town come Oct. 31.
Off Campus dynamic duo party episode
Prime Video’s Off Campus gained major traction online after a breakout season full of drama, romance, and staple looks perfect for your group’s costume. What better way to dress for Halloween than to dress as someone from a TV show who also happened to be dressed for the occasion? With Allie’s J. Lo costume being an iconic moment in the show, it’s the perfect double-date costume idea. I can see it now: J. Lo, a Top Gun pilot, a magician, and a cute bunny. So random, but it works so well.
With Wicked: For Goodbeing released in late 2025, it snuck its way right into 2026 pop culture favorites. Yes, we saw Glinda and Elphaba last year, but what we didn’t see was the Tin Man and Scarecrow, which makes this perfect for a group of four this year. To separate this from last year’s costumes, you can really incorporate horror with the glamour — I don’t know about you but the Tin Man was a little scarier than I expected.
One of my personal favorite ideas for your group this year is just a big group of friends all dressed like Glee’s infamous Sue Sylvester. Grab your red tracksuit and a wig for this hilarious costume idea.
With a successful sequel just fresh out of theaters, this is the perfect group costume for a fun and quick fashion moment. The hardest part? Deciding who will be Emily, Andy, Nigel, and, of course, Miranda.
After a special championship win that New York City waited 53 years to see again, the Knicks became staples in the pop culture world in 2026. Grab your uniform, a basketball, and a trophy, and you’ve got a team of basketball champs for your group costume.
Payton King, Max Norman, & Jordan Huxhold
This might be niche, but I think this hilarious YouTube trio could be so perfect — especially if your group is looking to be different while still being pop culture-focused. This gang is always doing side quests, so the costume ideas are truly endless. If you need direction, though, bring it back to Larray’s “Dress to Impress but IRL” video, where they went viral for their absolutely diabolical outfits.
- culture
- entertainment
- hc halloween 2026
