Pinterest Festival Corner Shop Pop-Ups Arrive in the UK
Pinterest is bringing saved festival ideas into physical spaces through three UK corner shop pop-ups, combining beauty activity, face-gem touch-ups, music and merchandise with new data on Gen Z festival preparation.
Pinterest is bringing festival-themed corner shop pop-ups to Brighton, East London and Notting Hill Carnival this summer, with e.l.f. Cosmetics joining the campaign as its beauty partner.
The Pinterest festival takeovers are intended to turn saved festival ideas into an in-person experience before visitors reach each event. Positioned en route, the spaces will reinterpret the familiar corner shop format for festival season.
Each location will feature a live DJ and a face-gem artist offering trend-led touch-ups. An e.l.f. Cosmetics activation will include products from the Power Grip range, while visitors will also be able to pick up customisable disposable cameras and other festival merchandise.
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Festival Planning and Self-Expression
Research commissioned by Pinterest found that UK adults aged 18 to 24 spend almost half their time feeling unable to express fully who they are. By comparison, 71% said they could be their real selves at a festival, while 69% reported feeling more like themselves at festivals than in everyday life.
The research also indicated that Gen Z festival preparation begins an average of seven weeks before an event. Among respondents, 64% said saving ideas in advance helped them feel more confident about expressing themselves.
Planning spans outfits, beauty, hair, nails and accessories. Pinterest’s internal search data also points to rising interest in particular festival looks between January and July 2026, with searches for “butterfly makeup” increasing by 110%, “denim mini skirt outfit” by 200% and “showgirl outfit” by 105%.
The physical pop-ups will be accompanied by activity on Pinterest, where festivalgoers can explore and save seasonal inspiration. e.l.f. Cosmetics is translating selected beauty trends into festival looks through Pinterest boards and Spotlight sponsorships.
“Festival season gives Gen Z in particular a rare opportunity to express who they really are. From outfit ideas and beauty looks to hair, nails and accessories, people come to Pinterest to search, plan and shape how they want to show up. With our corner shop takeovers, we’re bringing that inspiration off the board and into the real world, showing that the best thing you can find online is a reason to get offline.”
Louise Foley Director of Consumer Marketing, Europe at Pinterest
“Inspiration is where every great beauty looks begins,” “That’s why partnering with Pinterest feels so natural. Festivals are where self-expression comes to life, and that’s the kind of creativity and confidence e.l.f. loves to celebrate. We’re meeting our community where they’re discovering trends, planning festival looks and expressing who they are. Together, we’re helping turn inspiration into beauty looks they can create with confidence. It’s creative, it’s joyful and it’s unmistakably e.l.f.”
Patrick O’Keefe Chief Integrated Marketing Officer, e.l.f. Beauty
Six Festival Trends Identified by Pinterest
Hot Tropic
The Hot Tropic trend combines feathers, fringe, gold finishes, voluminous hair and sparkling accessories in a tropical maximalist look.
“Bronzed makeup”: 160%
“Gold bandage dress”: 545%
“Showgirl outfit”: 105%
“Blowout hair”: 55%
“Pink sequin skirt outfit”: 120%
Swashbuckled
Swashbuckled draws on layered belts, suede pieces, corset tops, boots and shorts, alongside deliberately smudged makeup.
“Pirate makeup”: 140%
“Pirate outfit”: 70%
“Scarf belt”: 185%
“Boots and shorts outfit”: 205%
“Corset top outfit”: 50%
Shoegaze Aesthetic
This aesthetic centres on thrifted band T-shirts, worn-in flannels, windbreakers and relaxed hair, drawing on indie music and concert styling.
Sheer Euphoria features sheer organza, oversized silks and softer dancefloor styling.
“Bloomer short”: 220%
“Sheer skirt outfit”: 135%
“Angel makeup”: 60%
“Dreamcore”: 100%
“Silk shirt”: 95%
High Camp
High Camp brings together mismatched shoes, high-contrast eye makeup, layered “outfit sandwich” styling and whimsical detailing.
“Camp aesthetic”: 70%
“Avant garde outfit”: 160%
“Graphic eyeliner”: 85%
“Two tone hair”: 50%
“Thigh high socks”: 65%
Research and Data Notes
The consumer research was conducted by Censuswide, commissioned by Pinterest, among 2,000 UK adults aged 18 and over between 1 and 3 July 2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society and British Polling Council, a signatory to the Global Data Quality Pledge, and states that it follows the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles.
All quoted search increases are based on Pinterest internal data for the UK, comparing January 2026 with July 2026.
