By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. AP Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Just before Janelle Monáe’s DJ set at Cinespia — an outdoor movie series framed by the marble mausoleums of a storied Hollywood cemetery — the multi-hyphenated performer wasn’t just focused on rehearsing a setlist.
Instead, Monáe paused to guide a symbolic circle inspired by “The Craft.”
Inside a candle-lit mausoleum, Monáe and several close friends recreated a moment from the 1996 cult classic film that they would later introduce to a sold-out crowd at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The group swayed and chanted, “Light as a feather, stiff as a board” before declaring “This is for the witches tonight.”
“It’s really about community for me,” Monáe said backstage with The Associated Press before performing a 20-minute set. “We love the ritualistic nature of what Halloween means: being with your friends, embracing your magic and celebrating that together.”
That brief circle of movement and music captured the essence of Monáe’s growing HalloQueen world, where the artist says play, performance and purpose meet under candlelight and bass lines. It’s all tied into the monthlong creative residency through a series of events reflective of Monáe’s passion for Halloween.
“Halloween gives context to what I already do every day,” Monáe said. “As an artist, I’m always transforming, world-building and inviting people to play in the worlds I create.”
The catalyst behind Monáe’s HalloQueen and events
The HalloQueen experience reaches its peak this week with Vampire Beach, a large-scale festival at the Santa Monica Pier on Thursday, followed by the annual Wondaween party on Friday. The two signature events crown Monáe’s season of celebration.
This year, Monáe is fully embracing the role of HalloQueen, turning October into both a playground and creative empire. What began as a love for dressing up as a child has grown into a movement that fuses self-expression under one brand.
For Monáe, Halloween feels less like a holiday and more like homecoming.
“I’ve loved transforming since I was a kid,” they said. “I create characters and worlds I want to live in. I’m just playing.”
At Cinespia, Monáe’s set opened with Nina Simone’s “I Put a Spell on You,” casting a musical spell over a crowd of witches and movie lovers. Among them was actor Rachel True, who portrayed Rochelle in the original “The Craft.”
“Janelle celebrates the kind of weird that used to make people uncomfortable,” True said after her surprise appearance. “I love that she embraces it so boldly. Back when I was coming up, I was told to be less weird, so to see that energy live on through Janelle means everything. We’re Black girls who own our weirdness, and we unite in that.”
How Monáe built a world where art meets imagination
The sense of play has always shaped Monáe’s creative universe from the tuxedo-clad android era to the futuristic gowns and otherworldly Halloween looks that have become their trademark.
In May, Monáe brought that same energy to the Met Gala’s Black dandyism theme-event, wearing a black, red and white pin-striped suit in a collaboration with Thom Browne and Paul Tazewell and a tequila diamond.
Each October, Monáe treats costumes like character studies: the Grinch’s daughter, a futuristic E.T., even a space-age take on classic horror icons. The performer also hosts AMC’s annual “FearFest.”
Monáe channels that imagination into a monthlong residency of immersive experiences. The itinerary has already included Monáe Manor at the LA Haunted Hayride, a DJ set for “The Craft” at Cinespia and their starring role as Sally in Danny Elfman’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” at the Hollywood Bowl over the past weekend.
From costume design to music curation, each event carries Monáe’s fingerprints.
“I consider myself a world-building experience architect,” they said. “I want people to look around and think, these were some of the best memories of my life.”
On Thursday, the Vampire Beach event offers a playful twist on daylight creatures of the night. The event flows through Wondaween, the new umbrella brand linking Monáe’s music, film, gaming and live experiences.
“Vampires can be in the sun now because of sunscreen,” Monae said, referencing a partnership with Vacation Sunscreen.
The blueprint behind the Monáe multiverse
Monáe’s creative foundation began with the Wondaland collective, co-founded with Nate “Rocket” Wonder and Chuck Lightning in Atlanta. That community of musicians, writers and filmmakers evolved into a multidisciplinary hub for world-building.
Now, it serves as the backbone for Wondaween’s Halloween expansion. There’s a hope to bring that same spirit of collaboration to live and immersive events.
“Wondaland has always represented art, community, imagination and pushing boundaries,” Monáe said. “Wondaween extends that vision. It’s a real-world destination for people who love creativity and want to feel free expressing it.”
From student workshops with horror screenwriter Akela Cooper to curated game nights and immersive music events, Monáe views every project as a portal to connection.
“Everything I build — from my albums to these events — sits under one creative umbrella,” Monáe said. “The universe made me multidimensional, and I want people to see all of those sides.”
Will the HalloQueen expand into new worlds?
What Monáe hopes participants feel after each event is lasting resonance. They see a moment still unfolding.
For Monáe, HalloQueen represents both a celebration and a blueprint for what’s possible when creativity meets community. They envision taking the experience to other cities including Atlanta, Miami, Chicago and Kansas City, where the artist was born and raised.
Each stop would feature a new theme, in what Monáe describes as “almost like the Met Gala for Halloween.”
When October ends, Monáe channels that creative charge into future music and film projects.
“The season inspires me to build new worlds,” they said. “It keeps me dreaming.”