Janelle Monáe Reigns as HalloQueen, Merging Art and Imagination

Just before Janelle Monáe’s DJ set at Cinespia — an outdoor movie screening framed by marble mausoleums at the iconic Hollywood Forever Cemetery — the performer wasn’t just rehearsing her setlist.

Instead, Monáe led a symbolic, candle-lit ritual inspired by The Craft. Inside a mausoleum, she and her friends formed a circle, chanting “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 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 ritual captured the essence of Monáe’s growing HalloQueen world — a realm where play, performance, and purpose collide under candlelight and bass lines. The monthlong creative residency features a series of immersive events reflecting her deep love 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.”

This week, the HalloQueen season culminates with two major events — Vampire Beach at the Santa Monica Pier and Wondaween, Monáe’s annual Halloween celebration. Together, they form the peak of a month dedicated to transformation, art, and self-expression.

“I’ve loved transforming since I was a kid,” Monáe said. “I create characters and worlds I want to live in. I’m just playing.”

At Cinespia, Monáe’s DJ set opened with Nina Simone’s “I Put a Spell on You,” enchanting a crowd of witches and film lovers. Actor Rachel True, who played Rochelle in The Craft, surprised the audience by joining the celebration.

“Janelle celebrates the kind of weird that used to make people uncomfortable,” True said. “We’re Black girls who own our weirdness — and we unite in that.”

From the tuxedo-clad android era to futuristic Halloween costumes, Monáe has long fused art with identity. Her creative flair was on full display at this year’s Met Gala, where she wore a black, red, and white pin-striped suit designed by Thom Browne and Paul Tazewell.

Each October, she treats costumes as character studies — from the Grinch’s daughter to a space-age E.T. or sci-fi horror icons. Monáe also hosts AMC’s annual FearFest, bringing her imaginative touch to every project.

This season’s HalloQueen lineup included Monáe Manor at the LA Haunted Hayride, a DJ set for The Craft at Cinespia, and her performance as Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas at the Hollywood Bowl.

“I consider myself a world-building experience architect,” Monáe said. “I want people to look around and think, these were some of the best memories of my life.”

At the heart of her creative empire lies Wondaland, the collective she co-founded with Nate “Rocket” Wonder and Chuck Lightning in Atlanta. It has evolved into a multidisciplinary hub for music, film, and immersive experiences — and now powers Wondaween, her Halloween expansion.

“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.”

Through student workshops, game nights, and live music, Monáe sees each project as a portal to connection.

“Everything I build — from my albums to these events — sits under one creative umbrella,” she said. “The universe made me multidimensional, and I want people to see all of those sides.”

For Monáe, HalloQueen is both a celebration and a blueprint for what’s possible when creativity meets community. She hopes to expand it to cities like Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, and her hometown, Kansas City — each with its own unique theme.

“It’s almost like the Met Gala for Halloween,” she said, smiling.

When October fades, Monáe’s imagination doesn’t. She channels that same creative charge into new music and film projects.

“The season inspires me to build new worlds,” she said. “It keeps me dreaming.”