Opera-Inspired Halloween Costumes
Show off your opera-aficionado side with costumes inspired by these beloved characters!
First off, a few couples’ costumes to get the ball rolling:
First up, Hansel & Gretel
Whether you’d like to go with a full lederhosen-&-dirndl look, or a simpler peasant dress and a shorts-with-tall-socks look, there’s a lot of room for fun with this pair.
For a more traditional look:
For a simpler, more peasant-inspired look:
For Hansel, try some shorts, tall socks, a vest, and rosy cheeks
For Gretel, whip out your favorite peasant dress, an apron, boots, and some pigtails
Papagena & Papageno, The Magic Flute
These whimsical lovebirds make for one of the most recognizable pairs in opera! Pair a colorful base layer with some beautiful feathers (and maybe a baseball-cap-beak a la The Met’s Papageno) to bring these lovable characters to life.
For both characters, put together a look that’s colorful and flirty. To get the plumage, try one of these hand-made pieces to top off the look.
Here are some ideas for feminine costumes that bring opera divas to life:
Lucia di Lammermoor (specifically the Mad Scene, of course)
Honestly, though. What a perfect Halloween costume. All you need is an old wedding dress from the thrift store (or a white dress that you don’t wear anymore) and a whole lot of fake blood to relive the Mad Scene (and maybe scare a passerby or two).
Obviously, the blood is the most important part. You can find some here.
Suor Angelica
Though people from outside of the opera world may think that you’re the Flying Nun from the late 1960’s sitcom, this costume is sure to be memorable. As an added bonus, a wide, old-fashioned habit is a great way to make sure people keep their distance - watch out!
Of course, you’ll need a nun costume for this one (preferably white)
And, to make it era-appropriate, a habit fit for our beloved soprano
Olympia, from Tales of Hoffman
Even if you’re not a coloratura soprano, you can still dress up as one! Olympia is the perfect costume if you’ve been wanting a reason to bring out your girly side without holding back. Here are just a couple of options for dresses to get dolled up in:
For a frilly dress with a Victorian flair, click here
For a simpler Victorian-inspired dress, click here
For a dress absolutely covered in ruffles and lace, click here
And for something that is ready to add your own flair to, click here
Carmen, from Bizet’s Carmen
If you’re looking for a more sultry costume this year, Carmen is the way to go. This look can swing more Flamenco or more Bohemian, depending on what you have on hand. Either way, this diva always turns heads.
If you’d like a costume that comes with everything but the rose, click here
If you’re in the mood to DIY, you’ll need to get a skirt, a corset, and a blouse (and any other accessories that help you bring out your inner femme fatale)
Now, for some masculine costumes from the operatic stage:
Pagliacci
This is one of the most visually recognizable characters in the opera world, and it gives you a chance to pull out all the stops in the makeup department! This is another costume that you could easily DIY or purchase a ready-made version of. Either way, this is one of the comfiest costumes you could run around in on Halloween.
For an option that is ready to go, click here
To DIY, you’ll need a shirt, some pompoms, a cap, and some killer sad clown makeup.
Commendatore from Don Giovanni
If you’re feeling like donning a looming look this Halloween, the Commendatore is the costume for you. Go full out by buying an old-fashioned soldier costume and spraypainting it gray, or take inspiration from the Commendatore Statue in Prague with a haunting gray cloak.
Here’s an option for a costume that just needs a little bit of spray paint
For a cloak fit to drag someone straight to hell, click here
Méphistophélès from Faust
Take a classy approach to dressing up as the devil with a Faustian Méphistophélès costume. A sharp red suit, handlebar mustache, and some little devil horns are all that you need.
Here’s a suit that fits the bill
You’ll need some horns, too
Here’s a pitchfork, if you’re feeling especially feisty
Mefistofele, from Arrigo Boito’s production
For a sexier take, try the Boito version of our devilish friend on for size! For this one, all you need is some high-waisted red pants and a pair of devil horns. Bonus points if you grow the goatee and add some eyeliner.
All you really need, besides the horns from the link above, is a good pair of red pants
And finally, Pavarotti with his melons.
Though it may not be recognizable to people that aren’t Pavarotti lovers, this is an easy costume and an homage to these loveable pictures of the Pav from the late ’90s. All you need is a Hawaiian shirt and a melon and a great high C.
Here’s a link to a Hawaiian shirt, or you can find one at your local thrift store.
I probably don’t need to tell you where to buy a watermelon, but here’s a link (just in case).
