Janelle Monáe’s Halloween celebration is officially back, and the self-proclaimed “HalloQueen” delivered another over-the-top night. The singer and actor kicked off Halloween weekend with the return of her Wondaween Festival: Creature Carnival at Santa Monica Pier, where she made a splashy entrance as The Amazing Fishboy.
Source: Yuxi Liu / BACARDÍ Rum
According to The Source, Monáe surprised attendees with a dramatic costume reveal before taking the stage for a live performance set beneath operating roller coasters.
The featured creature of the evening, Janelle Monáe leaned fully into the carnival theme. Instead of simply showing up in costume, she turned the Fishboy transformation into a moment, revealing the look to festivalgoers before treating the crowd to a live set. The setting made the performance even more memorable. Roller coaster cars zipped overhead while she performed, and creatures roamed the carnival grounds throughout the night, giving the pier the feel of a Halloween fever dream.
Source: Yuxi Liu / BACARDÍ Rum
The event also doubled as a showcase for BACARDÍ, which returned for a second year as the festival’s official spirits partner. This year’s partnership introduced Monáe’s very own signature cocktail, the BACARDÍ Spookito. The drink is a playful riff on the classic Mojito, with a splash of grenadine added for what organizers described as a frightful twist.
Guests had plenty of other drinks to try as well. The menu included themed cocktails such as the Creature of the Night Lemonade, the Pina-Ghoul-Ada Spritz and the BOO-BARDÍ & Cola. They were served from campy bars built exclusively for the evening and placed around the carnival grounds, adding to the over-the-top atmosphere.
Janelle Monáe’s Halloween Celebrations Keep Growing
The music didn’t stop with Monáe’s set. Shaun Ross, DJ Millie and Nana Kwabena were also on the lineup, keeping the energy high and the party going late into the night. Beyond the live entertainment, partygoers were treated to carnival bites and full access to the pier’s iconic rides throughout the evening. That meant guests could ride the attractions in costume, grab a themed cocktail, and catch live music all in one place. Additionally, the experience helped raise spirits across Santa Monica as Halloween weekend got underway.
Wondaween has become a signature moment for Monáe, who is known for blending music, fashion, and theatrical world-building into everything she does. Over the years, she has built a reputation as an artist who treats every public appearance like a performance, and the Wondaween Festival is a natural extension of that.
The partnership with BACARDÍ also shows how the festival has grown. Returning for a second year as official spirits partner, the brand supported a larger-than-life evening that mixed branded cocktails with the kind of immersive experience fans have come to expect from Monáe.
For past Halloween celebrations, Monáe surprised fans, dressing up as Cat in the Hat, The Mask, and E.T. Using extreme special effects makeup, and facial prosthetics, she transforms into the varying characters. With these characters, she has become known for her Halloween costumes, keeping fans on the edge of their seats, guessing how she will appear.
What did you think of Monáe’s 2026 Halloween costume?
