Hair Colour Trends 2026

What was the top hair trend of 2026? And what are the new trends emerging as we step into Autumn? In today’s blog, we’re going over all of the top hair trends of 2026 so far, and looking ahead at our predictions for Autumn’s hairstyle trends. From colour to cut, style to shape, we’ll be talking about every trending hairstyle around. So get comfortable, settle in, and get ready to learn about all things hair!

Top Hair Trends of 2026

This year, we’ve seen a real range of hairstyles and hair trends. Towards the beginning of the year, we saw a re-emergence of Y2K fashion, featuring lots of alt and punk hairstyles like chunky highlights and raccoon tails. We’ve also seen a real focus on choppy hair, from structured haircuts like shags and wolf cuts to short and wispy styles like the bixie and the layered bob. But what we really care about here at Manic Panic is colour. So, here’s our list of the top hair colour trends of 2026:

1. Raccoon Tails

Let’s start off with something we’ve already mentioned- raccoon tails! When it comes to hair colour, raccoon tails refer to a patch of hair with horizontal stripes. While this was a huge landmark of pop-punk 2000s hair, it has made a resurgence, and we’ve seen so many people give it a brand new spin with bright colours and contrasting shades. In the look above, our ambassador stylist @cassieolivia_hair used Electric Lizard and Electric Banana to create a contrast over the Hot Pink background, making a bold and vibrant raccoon tail that emphasises the iconic shade combo!

2. Chunky Highlights

Another Y2K resurgence has been the comeback of chunky highlights. We’ve seen examples in every shade of the rainbow, but the absolute fan favourite seems to be the punk classic of chunky pink highlights over black hair, adding to a Y2K alt aesthetic and mimicking cult classic characters like the Monster High Dolls. This pink and black hair by @yo_im_jo blends chunky highlights with a choppy haircut and bold fringe for a sleek and gorgeous haircut.

3. Halo Hair

Thanks to breakout Olympian Alysa Liu, another huge hairstyle trend this year was halo hair. Halo hair features a ‘halo’ ring around the head, usually in a contrasting colour to the rest of the hair. While Liu’s classic example features multiple bleached halos encircling her brown hair, we’ve seen plenty of variations on the theme. Our favourite, this one by @thehairwytch, uses rainbow colours to create an entire medley of colours within the halo, making the client’s head look like a gorgeous oil spill!

4. Colour Melting

Taking the halo one step further, colour melting is an evolved version of the classic ombre, melting one colour into another one for a clean and classic hair look! This hair by @liv.hxhair, for example, blends a deep, cherry red with a platinum blonde base, creating this delicious and dramatic blend. It’s safe to say we’re obsessed!

5. Cherry Cola

Speaking of cherry red, what was 2026’s top hair colour? Well, it’s hard to pinpoint a single one, but one of our top candidates has to be cherry cola! This deep burgundy colour was a breakout star of winter and spring 2026. With dark tones and a glossy wine finish, cherry cola is the new red, beloved by hair-loving divas everywhere. @punky.pixiee, above, achieved this dark cherry cola look with our Pillarbox Red over brown hair. Browse our red classic colours above, and mix and match to get your very own cherry shade!

6. Copper

Of course, we couldn’t discuss 2026’s top colours without mentioning copper! At the beginning of the year, it seemed that copper was everywhere. Cowboy copper, auburn, electric ginger… everybody had a favourite shade. Lucky for us, this was also the year that we released our SuperNatural shades, featuring the gorgeous Tiger’s Eye copper dye. Or, try our iconic Copper Kitty, a longstanding favourite, and get the perfect auburn shade just like @chloemmfc.

7. Strawberry Shortcake 

Finally, for a mix of everything we’ve mentioned: strawberry shortcake hair! This hair draws some inspo from the Y2K movement, and takes some of its colour from the cherry cola trend. Combining pastel pink peekaboos with a deep red base, the strawberry shortcake look is utterly adorable! We’re especially big fans of this epic look by @bleached.noir, with shaved love-heart detailing for an extra-cute feel!

Autumn 2026- What’s Next?

We’ve gone over every major trend from the past few seasons, but what about the next? 2026 isn’t over yet, and Autumn could be the busiest hair time yet! So, what do we predict for Autumn 2026? Well, first of all, we think haircuts are going to keep getting shorter and shorter, with even more layers. From bixies to pixies to buzz-cuts, we’re excited to see the world of wispy, layered haircuts expand (or get even shorter). 

Colour-wise, we predict a return to dark naturals. While the summer is all about bright and bold fashion colours, Autumn is about cosy fires and orange leaves, so naturals are bound to be all the rage. With the nights getting longer and the days shorter, we think trends like old money blonde and beachcore blonde will slip into the rearview, and darker colours will make a comeback. We’re expecting soft and cosy spices: cinnamon brown, dark chocolate, honey blonde, and some more auburn copper for good measure!

Want to find out more about Manic Panic’s 2026 hair trends? Check out all of this year’s top hair looks on our Affiliate Gallery below, with all of the latest colours and cuts. We can’t wait to see what comes next!