Halloween Costumes 2026: Buddy the Unicorn Tops Google Frightgeist as US Spending Hits $13.5 Billion

On Saturday, 31 October 2026, Halloween arrives with a search chart that looks stranger than most years. Google’s annual Frightgeist list, built from costume searches surging ahead of Halloween, puts Buddy the Unicorn — the cheerful-looking but sinister character from the 2026 horror film “Buddy” — at No. 1. The same season is forecast to be the most expensive Halloween on record in the United States, with the National Retail Federation (NRF) projecting $13.5 billion in total spending.

A cheerful unicorn with a dark twist leads the search surge

Google’s Frightgeist rankings measure the biggest increases in search interest, not a straight count of costumes sold, and that distinction matters for reading the 2026 list. Buddy the Unicorn leads because searches for a “Buddy unicorn costume” passed searches for a generic “kids unicorn costume” for the first time in September, according to Google’s 2026 Frightgeist list. The character comes from Casper Kelly’s horror film “Buddy”, where a bright, friendly-looking mascot takes a sinister turn, and that contrast helps explain why the look spread so quickly online.

Horror has driven much of this year’s search traffic, but the list is not horror-only. Viral toys, games and older stories sit alongside the horror entries, showing how fast a film, a game update or a social-media trend can move from screen to costume shop. That mix is also why the top of the chart changes so much from year to year, even while witches, vampires and superheroes remain familiar sights every Halloween.

From squishy toys to ancient epics: what the top 10 reveals

NeeDoh, the colourful squishy sensory toy that gained a large social-media following, ranks second, a reminder that a costume does not need a film franchise behind it to trend. Nikki, from the horror film “Obsession”, ranks third, with Google noting that searches for the red zebra halter top her character wears reached a new high after the film’s release. Agamemnon from “The Odyssey” ranks fourth, Lily Love Braids from the video game “Poppy Playtime” ranks fifth, and Verity from “Minecraft” also features in the top group, according to Google’s list as reported across multiple outlets.

The spread across film, games and toys points to a broader shift in how costume ideas travel. A look can now start as a game character, a toy unboxing or a single striking film scene, then gather momentum through short videos and search before most shops have stocked a ready-made version. For shoppers, that means some trending looks are easier to assemble piece by piece than to buy off the shelf, especially for characters without a licensed costume range.

A record $13.5 billion Halloween bill, led by costumes

The NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics survey, fielded 1–9 September 2026 among 7,889 consumers, projects total US Halloween spending of $13.5 billion in 2026, up from $13.1 billion in 2025. Costumes account for the largest share at $4.4 billion, including $2 billion for adults, $1.5 billion for children and about $920 million for pets, followed by decorations at $4.3 billion and candy at $4.1 billion, according to the NRF spending breakdown. Average spending per person celebrating is put at $115.14, only slightly above $114.45 in 2025, which suggests the record total is driven more by participation than by a sharp jump in individual budgets.

About 74% of Americans plan to celebrate Halloween, with about half expecting to dress up, according to the NRF survey as reported this week. The same survey found that 47% of consumers are using artificial-intelligence tools to help with Halloween shopping, including brainstorming costume ideas and researching products. That figure captures a practical change in how people shop, rather than a claim that every costume idea now comes from a chatbot.

Candy prices climb faster than overall inflation

Candy is the pressure point in this year’s Halloween budget. S&P Global Market Intelligence data, cited in market reporting this week, puts candy and chewing-gum prices up 7.7% over the past year, more than double the 3.7% rise in the overall Consumer Price Index. Higher cocoa costs, linked to poor weather and crop disease in West Africa, and drought-hit sugar production are among the factors cited for the increase. Shoppers may therefore spend more on sweets without buying much more by volume, a pattern that fits the NRF picture of a record total built on higher prices and steady participation.

What search spikes do — and do not — prove about sales

A Frightgeist ranking is a measure of curiosity and intent, not a till receipt. A costume can surge in searches because it is novel, funny or hard to find, while a perennial favourite such as a witch or superhero may sell steadily without ever spiking in search. Retailers and shoppers should therefore treat the list as an early signal of what will stand out at parties, not as a league table of what most people will actually wear. The spending data tells the other half of the story: Halloween keeps growing as a commercial season, but the growth in 2026 looks measured, with costumes, decorations and candy each accounting for roughly a third of the total.

For more seasonal screen coverage, see the site’s Horror Movie Night elimination report and its Nocturne premiere coverage.

Questions readers are asking about Halloween 2026

What is Google Frightgeist? Google’s annual Halloween site, based on Google Trends search data, showing which costume searches are rising fastest ahead of 31 October.

What is the No. 1 trending Halloween costume in 2026? Buddy the Unicorn, from the 2026 horror film “Buddy”.

What are the other top trending costumes? NeeDoh second and Nikki from “Obsession” third, followed by Agamemnon from “The Odyssey”, Lily Love Braids from “Poppy Playtime” and Verity from “Minecraft”.

How much will Americans spend on Halloween in 2026? A forecast $13.5 billion, according to the NRF, up from $13.1 billion in 2025, with $4.4 billion on costumes.

Does topping Frightgeist mean a costume will be the most worn? No. Frightgeist tracks the biggest increases in search interest, not total sales or the most popular costumes overall.