Top Ten Totally Topical Halloween Costume Ideas

Oooooooh…. Do you hear that? That’s the sound of Halloween sneaking up on you. If you are struggling in coming up with costume ideas this year, fear not. 2024 has been a particularly significant year for culture, so I rounded up the top ten most topical Halloween costumes, 2024-edition!

1. Moo-Deng

   

Getty Images

Does she even need an introduction? For anybody who is unaware, Moo-Deng is a three-month-old pygmy hippopotamus from Thailand who has recently gone mega-viral, gaining millions of likes on social media and even being parodied on Saturday Night Live. The most vital component of a good Moo-Deng costume is dewy skin and rosy cheeks. Throw on some gray clothes and some hippo ears and somebody might mistake you for the iconic baby hippo!

2. Four Seasons Orlando Baby

 Stefanie O’Brien on TikTok

“Me!” shouted the fully conscious baby upon being asked, “Who wants to go to the Four Seasons Orlando?”. This viral TikTok baby is the perfect costume inspiration for anybody who has ever been told that they have an “old soul”. For this idea, all you’ll need is a diaper and an active mind.

3. Charli XCX and Troye Sivan

   
   

Katja Ogrin/Redferns

Not fond of babies or hippos? No problem. For any pop culture aficionados out there, you have probably familiarized yourself with Charli XCX, the artist behind mega-hit record of 2024 Brat and queer icon Troye Sivan, with hit songs like “Rush” and “Got Me Started”. Charli XCX’s “brats” have taken over the world, bringing club culture and music to the mainstream, from being parodied on SNL to having the album’s signature chartreuse green image become part of the Presidential Democratic Nominee, Kamala Harris’ social media rebrand. Get your BFF for this duo costume! All you need to dress up as the Club Classics singer is a long black curly wig and a cute outfit (think mini skirt, white tank top, sunglasses). If you choose to dress as Sivan, make sure to have a white cutout tank top, saggy blue pajama pants, and bleach blonde hair. Don’t forget to SWEAT™ (XCX and Sivan’s headline tour name).

4. Dublin-NYC portal

   
   

   

   NDZ / STAR MAX / IPx via AP

   
   

Opened in 2024 (and closed in 2024), the Dublin-NYC Portal was an interactive installation connecting the people of Dublin, Ireland to the people of New York City, USA through an interactive giant video chat screen in the middle of both city centers. Understandably, this portal was used in positive ways, such as connecting long-distance partners and being able to see cities in different continents, but was ultimately abused by some residents and forced to de-activate. For this costume, you could either go literal or conceptual. As a duo, one person could dress up as The Statue of Liberty and the other could dress up as a Shamrock. Another idea would be to strap a television to yourself in New York and find a friend in Dublin to do the same, video chatting between devices. Now that would be a costume!

5. The Willy Wonka Experience in Glasgow

Stuart Sinclair

Get your girlfriends together for this group costume! The Willy Wonka Experience in Glasgow was a dull one, characterized by haphazardly placed candy decorations in some gray building, disenchanted Oompa Loompas, and non-canon characters such as “The Unknown”. Bonus points if you sport a disappointed look on your face.

6. The 8-Year-Old Girl Who Drove Herself to Target

Dashcam footage of the girl driving; Justim Kimery

An eight-year-old girl in Ohio recently made headlines after hopping in her mother’s car and driving herself for 20 minutes to Target without injuring anybody. She went on a $400 shopping spree and managed to get a Frappucino from the store’s Starbucks before getting caught by police. For this costume, you will need a Frappuccino, an SUV, and a dream.

7. Nikocado Avocado

Nikocado Avocado via Youtube

Mukbang-youtuber Nikocado Avocado recently went viral this year after making his comeback to the Internet with an extreme weight-loss transformation. The social media personality has been characterized by extreme food consumption on camera, causing many to raise concerns about the state of his health. To dress up as Nikocado in his comeback video “Two Steps Ahead,” where he claims that he is the villain, manipulating viewers and subscribers to consume meaningless content, you will need a panda head mask and a red t-shirt.

8. Jojo Siwa

   
   

   

   Gilbert Flores/Billboard

   
   

This former child-star turned her image around this year, transitioning into her adulthood by means of calling herself a “bad girl” and developing a grungy/rockstar persona. The “Karma” singer usually dons a dark, sequined leotard with fishnets, shoulder pads, and KISS-inspired makeup to match. She’s a controversial star, angering people on the Internet by claiming to invent the genre of “gay pop”, a theme which has been prevalent in music for decades. Get your hairspray and your black sequins if you want to dress as Jojo Siwa this October 31st!

9. Chappell Roan at the Tiny Desk Concert

NPR via Youtube

If you have been following the music charts, you have probably seen the name “Chappell Roan” catapulting to the top, with hits like “Good Luck Babe!” or “HOT TO GO!”. This year, Chappell Roan took to NPR’s Tiny Desk stage, or rather office, to perform some of her album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. To dress up as this singer-songwriter during her Tiny Desk performance, you will need a red curly wig, a pink puffy dress, white face paint/drag-inspired makeup, and a tiara. Don’t forget lipstick on the teeth!

10. La Phryge

miragen125 via Reddit

Last but not least, how could I talk about pop culture icons without mentioning the biggest global sporting event of the year, the Olympics! The Phryges are France’s official Olympic mascots. They are meant to represent Phrygian caps, symbols of liberty and revolution, but to be honest, their cute little eyes make it impossible for me to focus on all that. For this costume, you will need a full body Phryge costume and a willingness to make it work.

Happy Halloween!