Google has published its 2026 Frightgeist overview, the annual guide to the most-searched Halloween costumes in the U.S., broken down by region. For brands planning Halloween trends 2026 campaigns, it shows which themes are gaining momentum and where, and Google pitches it as a way to angle product displays and promotions toward what people actually want.
This year's leading movie costumes include:
Each entry shows where in the U.S. the costume is trending and how much its search activity has grown this year.
Frightgeist also ranks the top kid costumes, pet costumes and couple costumes, plus the most-searched horror movies. Each list maps to a different buyer, which matters for merchandising and ad targeting.
A Trending Map shows the top costume trends in every U.S. state, giving regional retailers and geo-targeted campaigns a data-backed reason to vary creative by market.
Google is also encouraging people to point Lens at their wardrobes for tips on building a costume from clothes they already own, to ask Lens for Halloween makeup inspiration, and to use AI search to find local celebrations. The search journey increasingly starts with "what should I do" rather than "what should I buy."
For more seasonal demand data, see TikTok Holiday Shopping Trends 2026: $500M+ in BFCM Sales, and for creative rotation tactics, read Black Friday Ad Creative: Weekly Refreshes Delivered 23% Higher ROAS.
Google's annual Halloween search trends guide. It ranks the most-searched costumes in the U.S. by region and shows how fast each trend is growing, along with a state-by-state Trending Map.
Buddy the Unicorn from Buddy, Nikki from Obsession and Agamemnon from Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.
Use rising themes for ad creative and displays, separate kid, pet and couple offers, and localize campaigns with the state-level Trending Map.
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