If students are anywhere online, they have probably heard the phrase “2026 is the new 2016.”
Pop culture moments such as Zara Larsson’s “Lush Life” and Netflix’s “Stranger Things” have both resurfaced or remained popular.
Driven by nostalgia, many of the decade-old trends have made a comeback, accompanied by a newfound appreciation for the time period. Here are the leading trends of 2016 that have come back around.
Water Bottle Flipping
The simple trend that took the world by storm is back, and its simplicity is what makes it rank so highly on this list.
Wherever there was a water bottle accessible, students could always be found flipping them.
In fact, the craze was so prominent, it seemed like people were addicted to it.
All students need is a water bottle and they are good to go. It’s accessible to everyone and requires no initial skill.
The fad has continued in its popularity, evolving into trick shots, like stacking flipped water bottles on top of each other.
This is the main trend that has stood the test of time and has grown past its simplicity.
Popular Toys
Fidget toys were a prominent trend of 2016.
The variety of fidget toys available catered to a large audience and were marketed to improve focus by eliminating distractions.
The toys range from the iconic fidget spinners to squishy toys that are now making a comeback with Nee-Doh.
The sensory experience between the different feelings of these toys and the noise created a new landscape of consumerist opportunity.
In addition, Beyblades, the spinning, top-like, combat toy used to battle in small arenas, proved to be an incredibly successful invention that accompanied the TV shows “Beyblade,” “Beyblade X” and “Beyblade: Burst”.
The base toy has also been industrialized as a spinning metal disc capable of catching on fire.
The new version of these toys have been manufactured by fans, not by the original manufacturer, Hasbro.
“Pokémon Go”
“Pokémon Go” is a mobile game where players walk around the real world and collect Pokémon and power-ups, allowing them to increase their combat power and take down other teams’ training gyms.
The game encourages movement and exercise in the sedentary digital world by only allowing players to hatch eggs after traversing a certain number of kilometers.
The game has experienced a comeback due to new social features and consistent updates, accompanied by firmly established nostalgia, stimulating new downloads and old players returning.
With the comeback, the game is seeing new gameplay features, and global events are being held such as the “Pokémon Go” tour.
Fashion Trends
Chokers are a trend that come back time and time again, starting in 2500 BC. And they continue to this day.
It started as a rigid, bejeweled collar-like jewelry, transformed into ribbon for the French Revolution, leather for the ‘70s boho era, and evolved into flexible plastic for the ‘90s.
In the modern era, chokers combine these styles and have a wide variety.
The trending style of the choker in 2016 was driven by nostalgia for the ‘90s and was featured commonly amongst celebrities.
The plain black plastic choker was by far the most popular among older teenagers and young adults.
Currently being revived by Zara Larsson, brightly colored eyeshadow is returning from the James Charles 2016 makeup era.
Moving away from the “clean girl” natural glam looks commonly seen in 2020 and onward, 2026 runway models have been seen wearing brightly colored eyeshadows and colored mascara.
Additionally, new releases from influencer-sponsored clothing brands, such as Revice, are bringing back boho-chic clothing with long skirts, fringe, and lots of layering.
Coachella
The music festival itself, sometimes referred to as “The Influencer Olympics,” has continued to be a prominent internet cultural aspect after its initial popularity in 2004.
Now in 2026, we have seen the Coachella 2016 aesthetic return, along with the term “2026 is the new 2016.”
This carefree and low-effort style is in direct contrast to the Coachella trends seen in 2025.
But it’s not only the aesthetic that has made a comeback. Starbucks picked up on the trend and brought back the infamous Unicorn Frappuccino for a limited time in the Coachella Valley for Coachella 2026.
While many trends that are making a comeback are originally from 2016, the public perception of the time period is skewed.
Many Coachella 2026 outfits that people think are “2016 coded” are actually inspired by celebrities from as early as 2012.
The same goes for other trends, such as HBO’s “Euphoria” returning with a third season.
The show was originally released in 2019.
Even the Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino which is highly associated with 2016, was originally released in 2017 for a limited time.
Other popular 2016 trends that are actually from other years include most Vines, which are from 2014 or 2015 ( the site shutdown in October 2016), or the “dab” trend which peaked in 2015 and was featured on a “worst trends” list going into 2016, according to Teen Vogue.
Although these trends weren’t officially 2016, it is sure that we are witnessing the prominence of late 2010’s nostalgia as we move further along into 2026.
