Janelle Monáe is well-known for her iconic looks — whether that’s on the red carpet, in her music videos or as characters in her filmography. However, that creativity and love for transformation also helps make her a certified Queen of Halloween.
The singer/actress pulled out all the stops for not one, but two can’t-miss Halloween parties for 2025. On Thursday, the Wondaland boss threw a Vampire Beach bash at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica pier, followed by a more intimate Wondaween party in the Hollywood Hills on Friday night — all with the help of Bacardi. So what exactly makes the perfect party?
“I think you have to have spirits, and that starts with the people: the right spirits at the party, people wanting to dance, wanting to be kind, wanting to dress up and follow the theme, wanting to smile, wanting to play and hear incredible music,” Monáe told TheWrap. “But also spirits like Bacardi. Whether you’re drinking at the party or not, it should be a shared spiritual experience that people want to have in real life, wanting to get together and make memories to last a lifetime.”
Thursday night marked the first-ever Wondaween Festival, complete with access to the pier’s rides, carnival games and drinks, as well as Monáe performing as her
Vampira Wave character.
“I always thought that I had the most incredible community, like, I just know that the folks that know know me or love my music or come out to my shows are just one-of-one when it comes to creativity and taste and fun,” she shared. “Last night left me in tears because we all found each other in a different way from across [the world] — I met people from Europe, the midwest, down south, that traveled to be together; strangers becoming friends in seconds. It just reaffirmed that I am loved, they are loved. I get them, they get me.”
Friday night then rang in Halloween proper with a star-studded dance floor and Monáe dressed as a different kind of vampire — this one with a shark eating one of her eyes.
“Halloween connects with me because I love transforming. Every original character that I come up with for Halloween, or whether I’m getting into a character that I’ve always wanted to transform into, it takes my creative mind to the next level,” she said of her love for the holiday. “As a creative, I love things stimulated and I love doing it for fun. Halloween, as much thought as I put into it, it still brings me joy. It’s not hard work, it’s heart work.”
“I’ve been like this since I was a kid, so it continues to tap into our childlike spirits and non-judgmental sides. What I love is seeing my energy reflected around the people that choose to transform into costumes, and also seeing their energy reflected on me. It’s like we’re mirroring our childlike spirits and we are giving ourselves permission to be creative and to play,” Monáe continued. “That’s what Halloween is reminder of: to play and to just allow yourself to pull out the strange, the odd, the love, the communal aspect of life. I think Halloween is a communal experience and that’s what I also love about it.”
Plus, the legendary entertainer also revealed which of her characters she sees most often as Halloween costumes out in public: “I’ve seen people do my classic black-and-white Janelle Monáe in the tuxedo. They still do that, which is so cool and always means a lot to me. I’ve seen some ‘Glass Onion,’ Mary Jackson from ‘Hidden Figures,’ they’ll also do my tour looks, the ‘Pynk’ vagina pants.”
Throughout both parties, Bacardi was a constant presence, which makes sense considering their logo is a (vampire) bat.
“What I love most, especially with this theme being vampires and vampire beach, their logo fit right in. This is just perfect branding,” Monáe concluded. “Bacardi is always about doing what makes you feel good — and safely. So when we started dreaming up custom drinks, The Rave Yard Mojito, which is a twist on their classic Mojito, it just made perfect sense.”
Celebrity guests at Friday night’s party included Lizzo, Natasha Rothwell, Dita Von Teese, Amber Riley, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Julien Baker, JaNa Craig, Kordell Beckham and Serena Page.
