80+ Halloween costume ideas to get you pumped for the holiday

by John Griffith
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I know it is still August, but if you are a real Halloween fan, you should have already started organising the spookiest party of the year. For lots of people, Halloween is the time to get crazy, creative and scare everyone. Awesome costumes are a big part of the holiday. Whether, they are going to be scary, funny or creative, doesn’t matter. A cool costume is sure to bring in lots of compliments. Which is why, today, we have gathered more than 80 Halloween costume ideas to take inspiration from and try out this year.

Halloween costume ideas for every taste

halloween costume ideas, group of people, dressed in different costumes, confetti flying around

When is Halloween?

This year Halloween is on Thursday, October 31.

What is Halloween?

It is a day, which celebrates the dead and their spirits, including saints, martyrs and all the faithfully departed. It is believed that the traditions of this holiday originated from Celtic harvest festivals. Halloween has a few very distinct traditions and symbols, which include:

  • Trick-or-treating. This is a children’s tradition. They go from house to house, dressed in different costumes, asking for treats with the words “trick or treat”. If you don’t have any treats prepared, get ready to face the consequences of the kids’ tricks.
  • Costumes. Usually, costumes need to be tailored to the supernatural – ghosts, witches, vampires, monster, etc. However, as the holiday has been modernised and is now widely popular and commercialised, there is a large variety of types of costumes. Some people still believe that supernatural, old-time costumes are the best way to go. Others, however, try to be as clever as possible. Famous pop culture figures, characters from books, movies and TV shows – all of these are now suitable Halloween costumes. What’s more, people often use puns as funny costumes.
  • Jack-o-lanterns. Carved pumpkins, filled with candles is the probably the most recognisable Halloween symbol.

Gorgeous calavera make up

woman with calavera makeup, halloween costume ideas, wearing white pearls, black satin gloves, black dress

What are some fun Halloween games?

  • Apple bobbing. Probably the most famous one. Fill a tub with water and drop a few apples inside. They will float to the surface and you need to catch them only with your teeth with your hands behind your back.
  • Syrup-coated scones. Hang them with a string from the ceiling and try to eat them without using your hands. You will definitely end up with a sticky face.
  • Hang a small wooden rod from the ceiling. Attach a lit candle on one side and an apple on the other. Spin it and try to catch the apple with your mouth.

Heidi Klum is the queen of the Halloween costume ideas

heidi klum, dressed as a cat, velvet cat suit, cat ears and whiskers, dark make up, halloween costume ideas

What is the best Halloween food?

Usually, on Halloween, people stick to candy. After all, if you send your child to go trick-or-treating, these candies need to be eaten and your child shouldn’t have lots of sugar, if you know what I mean (check the “I told my kids I ate all of their Halloween candy” challenge on Youtube). You can’t go wrong with candy apples, candy corn and, of course, a Halloween cake.

Breathtaking Game of Thrones inspired Daenerys Targaryen make up

woman with platinum blonde hair, daenerys targaryen, drogon make up, halloween costume ideas, black lace top

Daphne and Velma from Scooby-Doo

two women, dressed as daphne and velma, halloween costume ideas, scooby doo cartoon, inspired costumes

Detective Pikachu is definitely going to be a popular costume in 2019

detective pikachu, halloween costumes, woman with blonde hair, holding a magnifying glass, rosy cheeks

The Nun from the Conjuring is super scary and terrifying, therefore a great Halloween costume

woman dressed as the nun, from the conjuring, halloween costumes, face make up, fake teeth, contact lenses

Witches, werewolves, vampires – just because it is old school, doesn’t mean it’s not scary

group of people, dressed with different costumes, halloween costumes, posing for a photo

The attention to detail shown in this costume is amazing

man with sombrero, black coat, red shirt, black pants, halloween costumes, holding two guns

Emily Ratajkowski as Marge Simpson, attending Heidi Klum’s Halloween party

emily rajtakowski, dressed as marge simpson, large blue wig, green skin, green dress, red heels, halloween costumes

adult halloween costumes, woman with grey hair, dressed as a fortune teller, in front of a white brick wall

Clowns have always been scary, in my opinion

four people, dressed in clown costumes, adult halloween costumes, wearing clown make up

woman dressed as a mummy, adult halloween costumes, wearing contact lenses, braided ponytail, neon background

Awesome Beetlejuice costume

man dressed as beetlejuice, wearing a green wig, black and white, striped blazer, adult halloween costumes

Even 3 years after the release of Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn and The Joker are one of the most popular couples Halloween costumes

man and woman, harley quinn and the joker, adult halloween costumes, white background, suicide squad

Harry Styles sent the media into a frenzy with his iconic Elton John costume

harry styles, dressed as elton john, dodgers suit, easy halloween costumes, pink sunglasses

Heidi Klum as Jessica Rabbit

easy halloween costumes, heidi klum, dressed as jessica rabbit, red dress, red wig, purple leather gloves

John Krasinski as Jim Halpert in The Office with one of the most pun-worthy costumes

john krasinski, jim halpert, the office character, easy halloween costumes, book written across his face

man with a chainsaw, skeleton face makeup, wearing a hat, red bandana, black leather vest, easy halloween costumes

man and woman, dressed in tuxedo, wedding veil, easy halloween costumes, wearing contact lenses, face make up

man and woman smiling, holding pumpkins, dressed as bride and groom, diy halloween costumes, orange background

Vincent Vega and Mia Wallace from Pulp Fiction are as iconic as it gets

man and woman, vincent vega, mia wallace, pulp fiction, diy halloween costumes, smoking cigarettes

Jack Skellington and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas

jack skellington and sally, man and woman, diy halloween costumes, nightmare before christmas

Pennywise is going to terrify young and adults alike in September with the premiere of It:Chapter 2

man dressed as pennywise, it movie inspired costume, diy halloween costumes, holding a red balloon

Once again, the queen of Halloween – Heidi Klum as Fiona from Shrek

heidi klum, dressed as fiona from shrek, diy halloween costumes, green velvet dress, green skin

Probably the goriest Heidi Klum costume

funny halloween costumes, heidi klum, dresses as a skinless body, wearing heels, body paint

Rita Ora as Poison Ivy

rita ora, dressed as poison ivy, funny halloween costumes, red wig, green tulle, white background

Game of Thrones might have ended, but its characters will live on

man dressed as the night king, man dresses as a dragon, game of thrones inspired costumes, funny halloween costumes

Get inspired by The Purge

man and woman, dressed as characters from the purge, funny halloween costumes, suit and white dress, holding rifles

three women, posing for a picture, wearing scary make up, contact lenses, funny halloween costumes

Tony Montana and Elvira from Scarface

tony montana and elvira, woman with blue silk dress, last minute halloween costumes, man with white suit

woman screaming, wearing scary make up, last minute halloween costumes, black silk dress, black background

If you don’t really feel like scaring people, try this Victoria’s Secret Angel look

last minute halloween costumes, woman dressed as victoria's secret angel, pink shirt, angel wings

woman holding a skeleton, calavera make up, last minute halloween costumes, long brown hair

Banksy’s art inspires everyone

banksy art inspired, last minute halloween costumes, girl with balloon, man with flowers, brick wall

Beyonce, Jay-Z and Blue Ivy always go all out for Halloween

beyonce jay z and blue ivy, cute halloween costumes, dressed as barbie and ken, inside boxes

Big bad wolf and Red Riding Hood

man and woman, dressed as big bad wolf, red riding hood, cute halloween costumes

woman with scary make up, blue contact lenses, cute halloween costumes, white and black, lace gloves

Bonnie and Clyde are the most iconic duo

man and woman, dressed as bonnie and clyde, carrying guns, smoking cigarettes, cute halloween costumes

man dressed as clown, scary clown mask, cute halloween costumes, bouncy castle

Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones from Riverdale

couples halloween costume ideas, betty cooper, jughead jones, riverdale characters

devil horns, scary make up, blue contact lenses, couples halloween costume ideas, black satin top

man holding a bloody hammer, clown make up, red and white, striped blazer, couples halloween costume ideas

Edward Scissorhands is an iconic character

man dressed as edward scissorhands, couples halloween costume ideas, black wig, face make up

After the rise of Wonder Woman last year, Captain Marvel will take over Halloween this year

woman dressed as captain marvel, turquoise suit, couples halloween costume ideas, white background

Anna from Frozen is another popular character

woman dressed as anna, frozen inspired costume, blue dress, purple cape, halloween costume ideas for women

Little mix as KISS

little mix, dressed as kiss, halloween costume ideas for women, wearing make up, black body suits, black boots

Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory

man dressed as willy wonka, willy wonka and the chocolate factory, halloween costume ideas for women

woman with black hat, calavera make up, halloween costume ideas for women, brown hair

woman dressed as a zombie, white torn shirt, bloody face make up, halloween costume ideas for women, brown hair

Kermit and Miss Piggy from Sesame street

man and woman, miss piggy and kermit, simple halloween costumes, sesame street characters

Heidi Klum as an old lady

heidi klum, dressed as an old woman, full body make up, simple halloween costumes, holding a cane

Immortan Joe form Mad Max:Fury Road is terrifying

man dressed as immortan joe, mad max fury road, simple halloween costumes, face mask, long blonde hair

nightmare before christmas, simple halloween costumes, man and woman, jack skellington and sally

man dressed as jason voorhees, simple halloween costumes, blue onesie, holding a weapon, hockey mask

Jim Halpert and Pam Beesley from The Office

jim halpert, pam beesley, the office characters, what should i be for halloween, white tiled wall

Eleven from Stranger Things and her favorite Eggo waffles

what should i be for halloween, woman dressed as eleven, from stranger things, holding boxes of eggo waffles

woman dressed as the nun, from the conjuring, scary face make up, what should i be for halloween, contact lenses

man dressed as zombie, what should i be for halloween, carrying a bat, white background

man in a sloth costume, riding a bike, sitting on stairs, what should i be for halloween, side by side photos

man dressed in a tuxedo, woman with red dress, black veil, creative halloween costumes, scary face make up

man and woman, dressed in all black, holding wooden crosses, creative halloween costumes, braided hair

the joker and harley quinn, creative halloween costumes, man and woman smiling, standing in front of a blue curtain

man and woman, dressed as mummies, wearing face makeup, creative halloween costumes, posing for the photo

man and woman, dressed in suits, creative halloween costumes, wearing sunglasses, small hats

Mean Girls shaped a generation

halloween costumes ideas for adults, mean girls characters, rubbish top, she doesn't even go here sign

woman smiling, halloween costumes ideas for adults, wearing a black dress, miss universe sash, flowers and tiara

Mortisha and Wednesday Addams is a cool idea for a mother daughter costume

mother daughter costumes, mortisha addams, wednesday addams, halloween costumes ideas for adults

man and woman smiling, halloween costumes ideas for adults, jack sparrow, pirates costumes, pirates of the caribbean

four people, with scary make up, scary costumes, halloween costumes ideas for adults, contact lenses

man with a skeleton costume, famous halloween characters, woman dressed as the evil queen, holding a red apple

famous halloween characters, woman with scary make up, blonde hair, black t shirt

The Spice Girls will always be fashionable

five women, dressed as the spice girls, famous halloween characters, wooden floor, white wall

stranger things characters, eleven and mike, dustin and lucas, famous halloween characters, eggo waffles

teen wolf costume, red and yellow, bomber jacket, famous halloween characters, white socks, black shoes

the evil queen costume, witch costume, halloween costume ideas for men, basket full of fruits, snow white characters

three women, dressed as characters from the purge, halloween costume ideas for men, wearing masks

victor and corpse bride, man in a suit, woman with wedding gown, halloween costume ideas for men, spooky forrest

Steve and Robin from Stranger Things

steve and robin, stranger things characters, halloween costume ideas for men, leaning on a wall

Will Poulter as Sid from Toy Story

will poulter, dressed as sid, from toy story, halloween costume ideas for men, holding a woody toy, magnifying glass

easy halloween costumes for guys, woman dressed as a butterfly, man dressed as a bug catcher

woman dressed as pennywise, holding a red balloon, easy halloween costumes for guys, red wig, clown make up

woman holding a guitar, easy halloween costumes for guys, skeleton costume, skeleton face make up

Back to the future is one of the most iconic films

back to the future, marty mcfly and doc, easy halloween costumes for guys, man and woman

woman holding an axe, wearing a navy jacket, pink hair, face make up, easy halloween costumes for guys

woman with red wig, pinterest halloween costumes, white pow blouse, pop art make up, wooden wall

Al and Peggy Bundy from Married with Children may not have been the best couple, but they make for a great couples costume

man and woman, dressed as al and peggy bundy, pinterest halloween costumes, married with children characters

man separated in half, by teleport circles, pinterest halloween costumes, neon lights, black background

John Griffith
John Griffith

John Griffith is a young, passionate journalist. Writing has been John’s hobby ever since he was a boy. He has worked in some of the UK’s most successful news portals over the course of his professional career but found his forever home at Archzine.

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