Stars skipped generic monsters this year and went straight for recognizable red carpet moments instead.
The best celebrity Halloween costumes 2026 roundup, published by The Hollywood Reporter on Oct. 31, 2026, centers on Paris Hilton recreating Britney Spears, Lisa Rinna transforming into Kylie Jenner, and Carson Daly channeling country singer Ella Langley during a live Today show segment.
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Paris Hilton Leads The Best Celebrity Halloween Costumes 2026 List
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Paris Hilton has dressed as Britney Spears before, but this year she picked a very specific moment. She recreated Spears' 2001 MTV Video Music Awards performance of "I'm a Slave 4 U," right down to the green outfit, long straight hair and a snake draped across her shoulders. It's one of the most famous performances in pop music history, so the recognition was instant.
Hilton didn't stop there. She and her family also put together two separate group costumes this Halloween. In one, Hilton played Belle from Beauty and the Beast, with husband Carter Reum as the Beast, son Phoenix as Lumière and daughter London as Chip. In the other, the family turned into the Addams Family, with Hilton as Morticia and Reum as Gomez, while the kids became Wednesday and Pugsley. Three costume concepts from one family made Hilton one of the most talked-about names in this year's best celebrity Halloween costumes 2026 coverage.
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Lisa Rinna Recreates Kylie Jenner's Red Carpet Gown
Lisa Rinna's costume focused on something much more recent than Hilton's throwback. She copied Kylie Jenner's bright orange Chrome Hearts gown from the Los Angeles premiere of Marty Supreme back in December 2025. Rinna wore long black hair to match Jenner's styling and nailed the gown's exact color and shape.
She didn't do it alone, either. On Live with Kelly and Mark, Rinna appeared next to executive producer Michael Gelman, who dressed as Timothée Chalamet, Jenner's partner and Marty Supreme co-star. Together, the pair recreated the actual pairing fans saw on the red carpet months earlier, not just a single outfit copy. Forbes described Rinna's look as an eerily accurate recreation of Jenner's appearance.
Carson Daly Transforms Into Country Star Ella Langley
Carson Daly took his costume idea straight to work. On Today, he transformed into country singer Ella Langley, known for her hit "Choosin' Texas." The look included a wig styled with Langley's signature fringe, silver hoop earrings, bronze makeup, lip liner and a red fringed jumpsuit. Daly even performed along to Langley's song live on the broadcast, turning the costume into a full segment rather than just a photo moment.
He wasn't the only Today personality dressing up that morning. Savannah Guthrie went as an old-school news anchor, Al Roker became Gumby, and Jenna Bush Hager dressed as Phoebe Buffay from Friends. The group effort gave the show's Halloween coverage its own identity within the wider best celebrity Halloween costumes 2026 conversation.
More Pop Culture Costumes Round Out The 2026 List
The Hollywood Reporter's list also included Camila Mendes and Madelaine Petsch dressed as Betty and Wilma from The Flintstones, giving the roundup a classic cartoon moment alongside all the modern references. Kim Kardashian added a family twist by dressing as her own daughter, North West, flipping the usual parent-child costume idea on its head.
Across outlets covering the holiday, from ABC News to Forbes to CBC, the same handful of costumes kept showing up again and again. That repeated coverage says a lot about which looks actually landed with audiences. Rinna's gown, Daly's fringe jumpsuit and Hilton's Spears recreation were consistently singled out for how closely they matched the original images people already knew from photos and video.
Why These Costumes Stood Out This Halloween
What ties this year's best celebrity Halloween costumes 2026 together is specificity. Nobody dressed as a vague pop star or a generic witch. Hilton picked one exact performance from 2001. Rinna picked one exact red carpet gown from December 2025. Daly picked one specific singer tied to one specific song. That level of detail is what made the costumes instantly recognizable on social media and in photo galleries.
It also says something about how television and social platforms now shape Halloween itself. Daly's costume became a full Today show bit, not just an outfit. Rinna's look was paired with Gelman's Chalamet costume for a planned photo moment. Hilton posted her family costumes directly to Instagram. The holiday has become less about scaring people and more about recreating a moment everyone already remembers.
