Macabre Arts Tattoo Festival
- Dates
- Oct 23 to 25, 2026
- Status
- Confirmed
- Venue
- Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport Expo Center by IHG
- Price
- $15 to $40
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Sep 5, 2026
Macabre Arts Tattoo Festival returns to Louisville, KY, Oct 23 to 25, 2026. Froligo tracks current ticket prices, attendee feedback and travel details.
Age, licensing and hygiene
The organizer publishes no admission-age or tattooing-age policy and no ID rule. Kentucky state law governs the tattooing of minors in Jefferson County
The organizer publishes no licensing or sanitation statement. Its ticket terms direct attendees to 'follow all laws and rules of the Macabre Arts Tattoo Expo, the state of KY, and the Jefferson County Health Department', which makes the Jefferson County (Louisville Metro) health department the relevant authority; no permit or inspection specific to this convention was found on 5 September 2026
The purchase terms include a liability release under which the attendee holds harmless the Macabre Arts Tattoo Festival, the Crowne Plaza Hotel, and directors Bryan Scott Medjesky, Grant Loveless and Tiffany Loveless from claims for personal injury, sickness, death, property damage and expenses, and the attendee assumes all risk of personal and client injury. This is a ticket liability waiver, not per-client tattoo consent or aftercare guidance
The organizer's ticket terms reserve the right to deny entry to anyone and to expel attendees at any time for any reason without a refund, and prohibit fighting or obnoxious behaviour inside the venue or on the premises. No first aid, security or medical arrangement is otherwise described
The organiser publishes nothing on Admission age and ID policy, Tattooing age policy, Hygiene, sterilization and single-use procedures, Jefferson County temporary body-art permit status, Per-client consent and aftercare, First aid, security or medical arrangement and Daily show hours. Ask the artist you are booking with, and expect a licensed booth to answer without hesitating.
Checked 2026-09-05The experience
What's special
Macabre Arts Tattoo Festival is a horror-themed tattoo and art show returning to the Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport Expo Center by IHG on 23 to 25 October 2026, its 2026 edition landing on Halloween weekend. The organizer advertises over 100 tattooists alongside live music, sideshow performances, tattoo contests and costume contests, and bills the show as a place where rock and roll and tattoos collide: Skid Row founding members Rachel Bolan and Snake Sabo are among the announced acts, and 2026 guest tattooists announced on the show's Instagram include Jason Bancroft, Dave James and Chris Doza, with Ink Master artist Gary Parisi named among the weekend lineup. Admission is sold through the organizer's Passage box office from $15, with a discounted advance ladder of $15 to $20 a day and $40 for the weekend. The organizer publishes no age or hygiene policy, and its ticket terms carry a full liability waiver and a no-refunds rule
What happens on the floor
Finished and same-day work is judged on stage in named categories, usually late in the day.
Bands or DJs playing alongside the tattoo floor.
Getting tattooed here
Admission gets you through the door, not into a chair. Tattoo work is arranged with the artist, not with the show.
Booking is arranged directly with individual artists through their own studios or social media. Not stated on the captured sources
Not stated by the organizer
Who is tattooing
The organizer's own site (macabrearts.com) is a Wix page that did not render server-side, so the full artist roster could not be enumerated. The named artists here are 2026 Louisville announcements captured from the organizer's Instagram and Facebook via web search on 5 September 2026, each carried with its Instagram handle where stated. The show advertises over 100 tattooists, so this is a small announced subset
6 artists are listed for this edition, and Instagram handles where the show publishes them.
Award-winning guest artist
- Jason Bancroft
- Dave James
Guest artist
- Chris Doza
- Todd Rasel
Ink Master artist
- Gary Parisi
Announced act; founding members Rachel Bolan and Snake Sabo
- Skid Row
What it costs
Admission is the only price the show sets. Tattoo prices are set by each artist. No tattoo price, deposit or show minimum is published by the organizer, and none was estimated.
Admission (ga_range) is the visitor day and weekend passes only. Passage may add a per-ticket service fee at checkout; the exact fee was behind the checkout captcha and is not recorded
The market and the food
The market floor carries tattoo artists, oddities and art vendors.
No food or concessions information is published for this event in the captured sources; the venue is a full-service hotel
Hours and the floor
Indoor tattoo and horror-art festival at the Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport Expo Center by IHG, a full-service hotel with expo space beside Louisville's airport
Laid out as {'name': 'Expo center', 'note': 'Tattoo artist and vendor floor, live-music and sideshow space. Specific halls not published.', 'src': 'https://www.worldtattooevents.com/event/macabre-arts-tattoo-festival-2026'}.
Getting there
Nearest airport Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF), immediately adjacent (the Crowne Plaza is the airport hotel).
How do I get to Macabre Arts Tattoo Festival?
By car
The Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport Expo Center is at 830 Phillips Lane, immediately beside Louisville Muhammad Ali International (SDF) and across from the Kentucky Exposition Center; the hotel runs free transfers to the airport and within a 3-mile radius, so a fly-in attendee can reach the venue without a car. Downtown Louisville is about 10 minutes north on I-65
Most people drive to Macabre Arts Tattoo Festival. The nearest major airport is Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF), immediately adjacent (the Crowne Plaza is the airport hotel), 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 Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF), immediately adjacent (the Crowne Plaza is the airport hotel)
Search car hire →Live price search coming soon.
Where
Venue
Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport Expo Center by IHG
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near Macabre Arts Tattoo Festival?
No on site camping. Here is where to stay nearby.
Mid-range hotels 1
830 Phillips Lane, Louisville: this IS the festival venue, the airport hotel beside Louisville Muhammad Ali International (SDF) and across from the Kentucky Exposition Center, with free airport transfers. Staying here means walking to the show; no festival block rate published
Book direct →Airbnb & private camping
The airport/expo belt around the venue is hotel country; downtown Louisville, NuLu and the Highlands (about 10 to 15 minutes north) offer the better rental experience for anyone pairing the show with the city
Search Airbnb →Accessibility & comfort
What the organiser or venue publishes about getting around, and what they do not.
Confirm your specific needs with the organiser's access team before you travel.
Pricing
Price history and tiers
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