Vampire Beach Takes Hollywood: Inside Janelle Monáe’s Wondaween with BACARDÍ Rum

Halloween in Los Angeles reached an entirely new wavelength this year as BACARDÍ Rum teamed up with HalloQueen Janelle Monáe to host Wondaween, an ultra-exclusive celebration that traded haunted house vibes for a surreal seaside fantasy. For one unforgettable night, Hollywood Hills transformed into “Vampire Beach,” where sun-washed California nostalgia collided with supernatural glamour, fangs optional but highly encouraged. Notable attendees included Lizzo, Natasha Rothwell, Dita von Teese, Amber Riley, and Lucy Dacus, all stepping effortlessly into the dreamscape.

Held on Halloween night, this invite-only affair unfolded over the glowing hillside like a fever dream. Guests arrived to find a postcard-worthy tableau complete with a sunset step-and-repeat framed by a classic Corvette, loungers, and beach cabanas opening onto a dance floor suspended over a blue-lit pool. It felt like an Old Hollywood summer scene tossed into a supernatural riptide.

Janelle Monáe, ever the provocateur, made a theatrical entrance that set the tone. Channeling 1950s gothic glam, she appeared in a retro vampire look complete with swimsuit, pink tights, and a sweeping floor-length cape. The centerpiece was impossible to ignore: a shark clamped to her face, the fin humorously twitching through the night. The irreverence only added to her queen-of-the-evening persona.

No Halloween soirée is complete without a little potion-making, and BACARDÍ ensured guests stayed spirited. Beach-inspired bars shook and stirred custom cocktails all evening, including Monáe’s preferred pick: the Rave Yard Mojito. Made with BACARDÍ Superior Rum, mint, lime, and wildberry, the drink was served in a coconut branded for the BACARDÍ x Wondaween collaboration, making it the unofficial must-sip of the night. Sun-drenched, tropical, and slightly wicked, it matched the mood perfectly.

The guest list rivaled a red-carpet premiere, and costumes were equally committed. Lizzo arrived glowing in an opulent golden Carnival-inspired ensemble that shimmered beneath oversized feathered wings. It was exuberance made wearable.

Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker kept the energy collaborative, reuniting after their “Musicians on Musicians” Rolling Stone moment. Their coordinating costumes gave fans a déjà-vu that felt appropriately cinematic.

Love Island’s Serena Page and Kordell Beckham drifted through the pool deck alongside best friend JaNa Craig, sharing laughs about Page’s ongoing run as a Playboy bunny. If a costume works, why retire it?

Natasha Rothwell leaned into character play, wearing a blonde wig and cleverly applied “black eye” to embody Dana from The Pitt. Her nametag made the reference unmistakable and sparked playful conversations all night.

Of course, burlesque icon Dita von Teese brought vintage mystique, while Amber Riley added her signature star power to the scene.

The night offered more than a party. It was a full-scale art piece; a cocktail-soaked escape into a universe where classic California cool, Halloween theatrics, and rum-laced revelry converged. Monáe once again proved her eye for world-building knows few limits, and BACARDÍ Rum’s collaboration ensured the fantasy flowed freely.