Meadowlands Tattoo Arts Festival
- Dates
- Expected September
- Status
- Confirmed
- Venue
- Meadowlands Exposition Center
- Price
- $25 to $50
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Sep 4, 2026
Meadowlands Tattoo Arts Festival's next dates haven't been announced yet. The last festival was 4 to 6 September 2026 in Secaucus, NJ. Froligo tracks current ticket prices, attendee feedback and travel details.
One stop on a circuit of 19 conventions run to the same format by Villain Arts Inc.
Age, licensing and hygiene
Every statement here is CIRCUIT-WIDE Villain Arts policy, taken from the organizer's vendor policies, its consent waiver and its FAQ, not from anything published for Secaucus specifically. Meadowlands is named as a selectable show on the consent waiver, which is what ties the circuit policy to this event. No New Jersey or Hudson County health authority is named anywhere by the organizer, and the organizer states no inspection or verification of its own
Admission is all ages and children under 12 are free. To be tattooed you must be 18 or older with a valid government-issued photo ID; the organizer states there are no exceptions, that this is a legal requirement and that it is strictly enforced. The circuit's own consent waiver enforces the same floor mechanically: it will not accept an age below 18 and requires photo ID uploaded front and back
Villain Arts places health-department compliance on the booth holder by contract. Its vendor policies state that the licensee agrees to provide and pay all location and establishment fees, and artists license fees and or permits required by the local health department, and that the vendor agrees to comply with and follow all sterilization standards set forth by local health licensing requirements. The organizer does not name the New Jersey or Hudson County authority, publish permit numbers, or state that it verifies compliance itself
Vendor policy, verbatim: "The Vendor, if tattooing on premises, agrees to use single-use needles and inks, use certified sharps container to dispose of used needles, follow recognized professional tattooing standards, and maintain a clean workstation. This includes properly bagging contaminated waste each day for removal and policing the booth area before final departure for any tattooing product or materials." Each booth is supplied with a sharps container, distilled water, a trash bin and liner, and a table with a sanitized vinyl cover. This is a contractual undertaking by booth holders, not an organizer inspection regime
Villain Arts runs a single online consent waiver covering every show on its circuit, and Meadowlands is one of the shows selectable on the form. Before a procedure the form requires the client's photo ID uploaded front and back, a date of birth and an age entered as a number the form restricts to between 18 and 120, and the artist's studio temporary licence number. It also records the sterilization date or package and lot number used during the procedure, and the source, manufacturer and lot number of the ink. The client certifies being sober, free from drugs and alcohol, not under the influence of any controlled substance, having eaten within the last four hours, and being at least 18 years of age. Aftercare guidance in the form directs the client to consult a licensed healthcare professional at the first sign of abnormal inflammation, swelling or possible infection
The organiser publishes nothing on the New Jersey or Hudson County health authority by name, any permit number for this event, autoclave procedure, bloodborne pathogen training and any organizer-run inspection or verification of booth compliance. Ask the artist you are booking with, and expect a licensed booth to answer without hesitating.
Checked 2026-09-04What happens on the floor
The core format: artists take a booth for the weekend and work on the open floor, with the public walking through.
Pieces go on in the open, start to finish. You can watch, and talk to artists between clients.
Machines, inks, aftercare, art and clothing. Aimed at artists, but open to anyone through the door.
Stage acts between judging: sideshow, suspension and burlesque are common. Worth knowing before you sit down with a child.
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 handled directly with the artist, not through the organizer. Villain Arts directs visitors to its master directory or the city event page, then to the artist's own social media or website with the design idea, size, placement and references; artists reply with availability, pricing and any deposit requirement
Many artists leave time for walk-up tattoos, especially smaller pieces, while others book up completely in advance. For something larger, specific, or from a particular artist, the organizer advises contacting them ahead of time. No per-artist books-open or walk-up state is published for anyone
Who is tattooing
Featured subset only. No Instagram handle or studio name is published for any individual artist
24 artists are listed for this edition, by name only, which is all the organiser publishes.
Featured
- Ali Tattoos
- Esteban Ceron
- DMart
- Jac Alonso
- Sasha Woland
- SirTwice
- leo
- Erik Hernandez
- Boris Bianchi
- Carlos Guzman
- Lina Valentina
- Kaly Actitud
- Nacha
- Noemibb
- Flipshades
Special guest
- Boushee Bowie
- AL Fliction
- Mystical Mike
- Trocon Talhouk
International artist
- Filip Kotarlic
- Alessandro Pennella
Billed with an Ink Master's credit
- Dave Robinowitz
- Big Jaz / Bushwick Tattoo
Billed with an INKMASTER credit
- EMAC
Contests and judging
53 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.
- Tattoo of the Day (Color)
- Tattoo of the Day (Black & Gray)
- Best Portrait (Color)
- Best Portrait (Black & Gray)
- Best Traditional
- Most Unusual
- Best Lettering
- Male: Small Color (4" x 4" and smaller)
- Female: Small Color (4" x 4" and smaller)
- Male: Medium Color (Up to 8" x 8")
- Female: Medium Color (Up to 8" x 8")
- Male: Large Color (Up to 12" x 12")
- Female: Large Color (Up to 12" x 12")
- Male: XL Color (Bigger than 12" x 12")
- Female: XL Color (Bigger than 12" x 12")
- Male: Small Black & Gray (4" x 4" smaller)
- Female: Small Black & Gray (4" x 4" and smaller)
- Male: Medium Black & Gray (Up to 8" x 8")
- Female: Medium Black & Gray (Up to 8" x 8")
- Male: Large Black & Gray (Up to 12" x 12")
- Female: Large Black & Gray (Up to 12" x 12")
- Male: XL Black & Gray (Bigger than 12" x 12")
- Female: XL Black & Gray (Bigger than 12" x 12")
- Tattoo of the Day (Color)
- Tattoo of the Day (Black & Gray)
- Original Flash
- Best Painting
- Small Color (4" x 4" and smaller)
- Small Black & Gray (4" x 4" and smaller)
- Medium Color (Up to 8" x 8")
- Medium Black & Gray (Up to 8" x 8")
- Large Color (Up to 12" x 12")
- Large Black & Gray (Up to 12" x 12")
- XL Color (Bigger than 12" x 12")
- XL Black & Gray (Bigger than 12" x 12")
- Sleeve
- Hand/Neck Tattoo
- Japanese
- Leg Sleeve
- Best Melanated Tattoo
- Color Infused Black & Gray
- Color Realism
- Black and Gray Realism
- Geometric / Tribal
- Chest Piece
- Back Piece
- Anime
- Overall (Male)
- Overall (Female)
- Cover Up (Before & after pictures required)
- Tattoo of the Day (Color)
- Tattoo of the Day (Black & Gray)
- Best in Show Tattoo
How entries work
Entry $10 per piece.
Sign up at the Contest Signup Booth by the Entertainment Stage.
Signup is at the Contest Signup Booth by the Entertainment Stage, unless otherwise noted. Signups close 15 minutes before judging begins. Entry costs $10. Overall categories award 1st, 2nd and 3rd trophies with plaques for the artist. Tattoo of the Day awards 1st through 5th trophies with plaques for the artist, and covers work done from start to finish on that day only. Cover Up entries require before and after pictures
Around the tattooing
On the entertainment stage
- Cenobyte Suspension Crew
- Cruella Morgan
- Dr. Blasphemy
- Alakazam
- Verona Fink
- James Maltman
- Camille Zamboni
What it costs
Admission is the only price the show sets. Tattoo prices are set by each artist and are separate from admission; the organizer's general guide is roughly $100-300 for small tattoos, $300-800 for medium pieces, and $1,000+ for large or detailed work, with a show-wide minimum of $100 per tattoo.
Extras, bought separately
If you are exhibiting
Booth and vendor fees are what the show charges artists and traders. They are not visitor prices.
Booths are 10x10 and cost $750, fitting 2 artists tattooing at once; includes 3 badges, 2 tables, 4 chairs, electricity, trash bin, sharps container, distilled water, and access to consent/aftercare forms
Ticket prices are taken from the official on-page cart. Villain Arts' terms of service state that resale or listing of its tickets on other platforms is expressly forbidden and that tickets bought on other platforms cannot be guaranteed as admissible or covered by its refund policy, so third-party resale listings for this show should not be treated as a route in
The market and the food
The organizer's booth-holder policy lists food and beverage service among services it does not accept from artist/vendor booth applicants, so on-site food is not run through the tattoo artist booths
Hours and the floor
Indoor
Laid out as Entertainment Stage, Artist Area and exhibit hall (61,000 sq ft with five additional meeting rooms).
Complimentary parking in lots adjacent to the facility
Getting there
Nearest airport Newark Liberty International (EWR).
How do I get to Meadowlands Tattoo Arts Festival?
By car
The center is minutes off the NJ Turnpike and Route 3 in Secaucus, about 15 minutes from Newark Liberty in normal traffic, and venue parking is complimentary, which is rare this close to Manhattan
Most people drive to Meadowlands Tattoo Arts Festival. The nearest major airport is Newark Liberty International (EWR), 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
Secaucus Junction, the hub where most NJ Transit rail lines converge (with direct service from Penn Station New York and Newark), is about a 5 minute drive from the venue. The free E-Z Ride shuttle covers the last leg on weekdays at peak hours only; outside those windows it is a short taxi or rideshare hop
Book / info →By bus & public transit
The 320 runs from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown directly to Harmon Meadow with no transfer, stopping across the street from the event hotel about 5.5 miles out; it is the straightforward car-free route from New York City to the show
Book / info →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 Newark Liberty International (EWR)
Search car hire →Live price search coming soon.
Where
Venue
Meadowlands Exposition Center
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near Meadowlands Tattoo Arts Festival?
No on site camping. Here is where to stay nearby.
Mid-range hotels 1
575 Park Plaza Drive, in the Harmon Meadow plaza with the exposition center itself: the show's official event hotel, a walk across the plaza from the doors. The NJ Transit 320 bus from Port Authority stops across the street, and the surrounding plaza holds restaurants and a multiplex
Book direct →Airbnb & private camping
Secaucus itself is hotel country, and the plaza cluster around the venue (Hyatt Place, Embassy Suites, Holiday Inn and others in Harmon Meadow) is the practical zone. Staying in Manhattan and riding the 320 bus out is a real alternative for anyone pairing the show with a New York weekend
Search Airbnb →Accessibility & comfort
What the organiser or venue publishes about getting around, and what they do not.
The show page links the venue's Accessibility Services page but itemizes no accommodation itself. The venue is a single-level exposition hall with adjacent flat surface parking. The venue's own site states 61,000 sq ft of exhibit space with five additional meeting rooms and a maximum capacity of 5,000.
Contact the Meadowlands Exposition Center on 201-330-7773 for specific accommodations
Admission is all ages and children under 12 are free. To be tattooed you must be 18 or older with a valid government-issued photo ID; the organizer states there are no exceptions, that this is a legal requirement and that it is strictly enforced.
The circuit's own consent waiver enforces the same floor mechanically: it will not accept an age below 18 and requires photo ID uploaded front and back
Confirm your specific needs with the organiser's access team before you travel.
Pricing
Price history and tiers
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