Hell City Tattoo Festival Ohio
- Dates
- Nov 6 to 8, 2026
- Status
- Confirmed
- Venue
- Hyatt Regency Columbus
- Price
- $27 to $80
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Sep 5, 2026
Hell City Tattoo Festival Ohio returns to Columbus, OH, Nov 6 to 8, 2026. Froligo tracks current ticket prices, attendee feedback and travel details.
Age, licensing and hygiene
Every statement here is the organizer's own, drawn from the rules, FAQ and competitions pages. No Ohio or Franklin County health-authority text was fetched, so no regulatory detail is asserted beyond the organizer's own attribution to 'the Board of Health'. No claim here is a conclusion about how clean any particular booth will be
Getting tattooed or pierced requires being 18 or over with valid ID and a signed release form, and artists must verify age and have a signed release before starting any procedure. This is stated by the organizer as a house rule ('You MUST BE 18 to get tattooed'); Ohio state body-art requirements were not fetched for this record and are not asserted here
The organizer's stated requirement is that every working tattoo artist must have Bloodborne Pathogens and basic First Aid/CPR training records on hand: 'IF YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS & BASIC FIRST AID/CPR TRAINING RECORDS, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TATTOO AT HELL CITY.' The rules attribute this to Board of Health requirements and add that all attending artists must abide by all local health regulations
The rules require gloves to be worn when tattooing or piercing a client, prohibit food or drinks on tattoo artists' tables, and make each artist responsible for their own trash using provided bags, with a sharps receptacle provided for closed and secured sharps containers at the end of the weekend. The organizer does not publish a full sterilization, single-use or workstation standard beyond these points
Attending artists must have every client read, complete and sign the release and consent forms provided in the artist check-in packets, and must give clients the aftercare instructions from those packets. Artists collect and keep their own client release forms; Hell City does not retain client information. The FAQ publishes a recommended aftercare routine: remove the bandage after 2 to 5 hours, wash 2 to 3 times daily with antibacterial soap, apply a thin layer of unscented lotion 3 to 5 times daily for two weeks, avoid picking scabs, avoid soaking or sun, and use SPF 30 to 50 in prolonged sun
Wristbands are required at all times for entry and re-entry, and must not be shared. No fighting or obnoxious behavior is permitted, on pain of removal without refund. No professional cameras are allowed without a press pass, and no soliciting or flyering inside the show. Pets are not allowed on the tattooing floor for public-health reasons; service animals are allowed only in areas where no tattooing, piercing or open wounds are present, and aggressive animals are refused
The organiser publishes nothing on Any organizer statement on autoclaving, spore testing or ink single-use beyond gloves and sharps disposal, Any claim that a health inspector attends or licenses this event and Named first aid or medical arrangement on site. Ask the artist you are booking with, and expect a licensed booth to answer without hesitating.
Checked 2026-09-05The experience
What's special
Hell City Ohio is a long-running, artist-led tattoo festival that fills the downtown Hyatt Regency Columbus for three days each November. Founded in Columbus in 2002 and televised on the History Channel and The Learning Channel, it pairs a large tattoo and vendor floor, with more than 200 attending artists across dozens of studios, with a wide entertainment program. Evenings center on the Main Stage tattoo competitions, judged Friday and Saturday from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM and Sunday from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at $20 per category, alongside the Battle Booth, the Art Fusion Experiment on the Side Stage, the Wet Paint Project, Evil Easels, live burlesque, a Fine Art Gallery, seminars and films, and after parties at the Big Bar on 2. Admission is separate from the cost of a tattoo: gates open at noon daily, kids 10 and under are free, and anyone getting tattooed or pierced must be 18 with valid ID and a signed release. Artists must carry Bloodborne Pathogens and First Aid/CPR training records to work the floor, and wristbands must stay on for entry and re-entry. Food is easy through the Hyatt restaurant, the Big Bar on 2 and the attached convention-center food court
What happens on the floor
Pieces go on in the open, start to finish. You can watch, and talk to artists between clients.
Finished and same-day work is judged on stage in named categories, usually late in the day.
Machines, inks, aftercare, art and clothing. Aimed at artists, but open to anyone through the door.
Piercers work alongside the tattoo booths. The same questions apply: age, ID, sterilisation and aftercare.
Teaching sessions aimed at working artists. Usually ticketed separately from admission.
Getting tattooed here
Admission gets you through the door, not into a chair. Tattoo work is arranged with the artist, not with the show.
Artist names on the official Ohio 2026 roster link to studio pages for portfolios and appointment booking. The organizer advises booking a preferred artist early because most are booked months in advance; it does not guarantee walk-up availability with any individual artist
Walk-up tattooing happens across the floor all weekend, but the organizer's guidance is to contact a specific artist ahead of time. Attendees pay the artist's minimum once the artist applies the stencil at the show
Who is tattooing
The official 2026 Ohio attending-artists page named 67 individual artists grouped under their studios on 2026-09-05. Names link to studio pages for portfolios and appointment booking; no Instagram handles are printed in the page text. The organizer's scale claim is inconsistent between over 200 and over 250, and the page states a studio is only listed once booth forms and payment are complete, so the roster is expected to grow before the show
67 artists are listed for this edition, by name only, which is all the organiser publishes.
A to Copen
- Aaron Watson
- Alex Pea
- Ash Hudson
- Barbie Lavon
- BoneHead
- Brandon Sommers
- Brian Klingensmith
- Bruce Riehl
- Caitlyn Campbell
- Calvin Maryland
- Carlos Naranjo
- Chris Powell
- Connor Foley
D to Fopen
- Daniel Redding
- Dany Rojas
- Darl Gnau
- Dick Eckman
- Dillon Caudill
- Don Don
- Don Taylor
- Dustie Pitstick
- Dustin Kaiser
G to Jopen
- Gabe Londis
- Gabrielle Soucie
- Hannah Steele
- Howie Horowitz
- Ian Bell
- Jacee Hamilton
- JD
- Jessica Brown
- Jimmy Delassio
- Jon Kellogg
- Jonathon Anderson
- Juco
K to Mopen
- Kayla Hill
- Kelsey
- Krys King
- Kurt Jacobsen
- Lexi Runyon
- Lorelei Dugan
- Madison Brewington
- Marvin Silva
- Maryssa Anne
- Matt Driscoll
- Matt Nelson
- Meg Rataiczak
- Meredith Brewington
- Mitch Bonifay
N to Ropen
- Nico Perez
- Noah Durany
- Oleksandr Khoroshun
S to Zopen
- Sage Raul
- Sam Dustin
- Samantha Brown
- Sarah Gordon
- Sarah Xuan
- Savannah Compton
- Sean Gardner
- Sebastian Calderon
- Shane Baker
- Shawn Skale
- Teddi Garson
- Tehya Maxwell
- Tim Stafford
- Van Cummings
- Zach Ashton
- Zak Perry
Contests and judging
23 categories are judged across the weekend. Judging pulls the whole floor to the stage, so it is the best hour of the day to watch even if you are not entering.
- Best Asian Tattoo
- Best New School
- Best Bio / Organic / Geometric
- Best Skull Tattoo (Color or Black & Grey)
- Best Neo Traditional
- Battle Booth Winner
- Tattoo Of The Day
- Best Small Color
- Best Small Black & Grey
- Best Traditional
- Best Arm / Leg Sleeve
- Best Back Piece / Chest Panel
- Worst Tattoo
- Battle Booth Winner
- Tattoo Of The Day
- Best Large Color
- Best Large Black & Grey (includes tribal)
- Best Portrait / Realism (color and black & grey)
- Best Overall Collector (Male and Female)
- Best Wet Painter
- Battle Booth Winner
- Tattoo of the Day
- Best of Show
How entries work
Entry $20 per category, non-refundable per piece.
Register at the main stage / merch and admissions counter before each competition. A tattoo may be entered in at most two categories. Be present 30 minutes before competing; no refunds for no-shows. Entered tattoos must be fully healed, except Tattoo of the Day, which must be done by an attending Hell City artist that same day and be cleaned up and presentable. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards are given for most categories, with 1st place also receiving a Hell City Medallion. Tattoo of the Day, Best in Show, the Best Booth award (given Sunday) and the Saturday-night Worst Tattoo are free to enter for attending Hell City artists. Awards are presented on stage by the Hell City Hotties
Around the tattooing
Also running
- Wet Paint Project live paintingLive painting project running across the fest; also a competition category (Best Wet Painter)
- Art Fusion ExperimentCollaborative live-art performance staged on the Side Stage
- Battle BoothHead-to-head tattoo battles; a Battle Booth Winner is named each competition day
- Evil EaselsLive-art feature listed among the Hell City live acts
- Live Burlesque and Main Stage actsMain Stage hosts live music, burlesque and freakshow-style acts alongside the competitions
- Fine Art GalleryA curated fine-art gallery on the 2nd Floor
- Hell City HottiesThe show's official trophy hosts, who present competition awards
- After parties at the Big Bar on 2Evening after parties at the Hyatt's Big Bar on 2 in Columbus
What it costs
Admission is the only price the show sets. No tattoo prices are published, and none should be inferred. Each artist sets their own rate at their booth; attendees pay the artist's minimum once the artist applies the stencil at the show. Book a preferred artist ahead through their studio link, since most are booked months in advance. Walk-up work is available across the floor; the cost is whatever the artist charges, on top of admission.
Extras, bought separately
Tattoo competition entry: A contest entry fee paid by the entrant, not admission and not the price of a tattoo.
If you are exhibiting
Booth and vendor fees are what the show charges artists and traders. They are not visitor prices.
Booth prices are quoted privately after an application is approved; applicants then have 30 days to make an online booth payment. No public booth price is published. Artist side, not a visitor price
Admission is cash only at the door and presale carries no separately published booking fee. Two categories of money on this record are NOT visitor admission prices and are fenced: the $20 competition entry, and all artist-side costs (booth payment, massage-table rental, booth supplies)
The market and the food
The market floor carries tattoo artists, vendors, live painters and industry educators. Named traders include Art Noir (formerly Adenna) (infection-control and cross-contamination products), True Tattoo Supply (tattoo supply (True Tubes, True Grips, True Needles)), RedTree Tattoo Gallery (Columbus tattoo studio and supply company), Skin Deep (tattoo docu-series (media sponsor)) and Skin & Ink Magazine (tattoo magazine (media sponsor)).
Food on site: hotel restaurant, hotel bar (Big Bar on 2) and attached convention-center food court.
The FAQ says the Hyatt Regency has a restaurant and the Big Bar on 2, and that because the Hyatt is attached to the convention center there is a food court with selections from breakfast to late night
Hours and the floor
The Hyatt Regency Columbus in the downtown arts district, attached to the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The festival fills a tattoo and vendor ballroom floor plus staged and gallery areas across the hotel
Laid out as {'name': 'Tattoo and vendor floor (Ballroom)', 'note': 'The main hall of attending studios and vendors; artists wear a Vendor Wristband to enter and exit the ballroom.', 'src': 'https://hellcity.com/pages/rules'}, {'name': 'Main Stage', 'note': 'Live music, freakshows, burlesque and the tattoo competitions and awards.', 'src': 'https://hellcity.com/pages/faqs-1'}, {'name': 'Side Stage', 'note': 'Home of the Art Fusion Experiment.', 'src': 'https://hellcity.com/pages/faqs-1'} and {'name': '2nd Floor', 'note': 'Special events including the Fine Art Gallery.', 'src': 'https://hellcity.com/pages/faqs-1'}.
The Hyatt is a climate-controlled downtown hotel with an on-site restaurant, the Big Bar on 2, and an attached convention-center food court. Paid WiFi is available from the Hyatt at $13 to $19 per day
Getting there
Nearest airport John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH), about 7 miles east.
How do I get to Hell City Tattoo Festival Ohio?
By car
Most people drive to Hell City Tattoo Festival Ohio. The nearest major airport is John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH), about 7 miles east, and from there it is a straightforward drive to the venue. Check current road and traffic conditions before you set off, and see parking below.
By train
No direct passenger rail to the venue was found. Drive, fly in, or use a shuttle instead.
By bus & public transit
No scheduled intercity bus or public transit route to the venue was found. Drive, fly in, or use a shuttle instead.
Taxi & rideshare
Taxis and rideshare such as Uber and Lyft can be limited near the venue, especially late at night or in rural areas. Agree a pickup point and time in advance and keep a backup plan.
🚙 Car hire
Compare car hire at John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH), about 7 miles east
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Where
Venue
Hyatt Regency Columbus
Camping & Accommodation
No camping or lodging details for Hell City Tattoo Festival Ohio yet.
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Accessibility & comfort
What the organiser or venue publishes about getting around, and what they do not.
Two separate rules. ENTRY: the show is open to the public and family friendly; kids 10 and under get in free, minors must be accompanied by an adult, infants must be carried (no strollers because of crowding), and 'preemies' are not admitted.
GETTING TATTOOED OR PIERCED: you must be 18 or over, present valid ID and sign a release form, and artists must verify age before starting any procedure
Confirm your specific needs with the organiser's access team before you travel.
Pricing
Price history and tiers
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