Janelle Monáe Unveils Creature Carnival Costume for Bacardi Partnership

Janelle Monáe faces a recurring challenge every October: balancing the desire to bring her most elaborate character to life with the logistical reality of a public event. For her 2026 appearance, she has chosen a full prosthetic transformation for the Wondaween Festival: Creature Carnival, a secret Los Angeles event taking place on October 29.

The costume centers on a green-tinged, wrinkled prosthetic face. Monáe has replaced one eye with a hot pink swirl and added prosthetic hands with bloody knuckles. The look is anchored by a peachy pink shag wig, a black hat, a ruffled white blouse, and black-and-white striped suspenders. She completes the ensemble with long strands of pearls mixed with black beads.

Bacardi serves as the official spirits partner for the festival for the second consecutive year. The collaboration features the Spookito, a seasonal variation of the classic mojito. The drink is made by muddling eight to ten mint leaves with one ounce of lime juice and half an ounce of simple syrup. One and a half ounces of Bacardi Superior rum and crushed ice are added, stirred gently, and topped with soda water. A drizzle of grenadine and a mint sprig finish the preparation.

Monáe describes Halloween as her creative happy space, a period where she explores how people can become agents of joy and imagination. She told The Hollywood Reporter that she engages in these transformations because her heart needs it. This year’s creature look follows previous costumes, including E.T. in 2024 and the Cat in the Hat in 2025. She also appeared as a vampire at the Santa Monica Pier and as the character from The Mask in a canary yellow suit.

The planning for these looks begins years in advance. Designer and tailor Alex Navarro and stylist Alexandra Mandelkorn assist in bringing the visions to life. Monáe told People that her E.T. costume took two years to develop. She maintains that she fully embodies each character from morning to night, citing her time as a white rabbit or Diva Plavalaguna as examples of total immersion.

Her commitment to character has roots in her childhood in Kansas City. She told Dread Central that she once dressed as Chucky, including the mask and overalls, and slept in the mask. Her mother reacted by saying she thought something was wrong with her, but that she loved her. Monáe now views Wondaween Season as a time when all the different versions of herself can be fully realized.

The Creature Carnival event will take place at a secret location in Los Angeles on October 29. Monáe will hold her signature Spookito in one of her prosthetic hands during the festivities. The event marks the continuation of her annual Halloween legacy, which blends fashion, performance, and character work.