Middle Tennessee Tattoo Expo
- Dates
- Nov 6 to 8, 2026
- Status
- Confirmed
- Venue
- The Fairgrounds Nashville, Expo Buildings 1 and 2
- Price
- $25 to $50
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Sep 5, 2026
Middle Tennessee Tattoo Expo returns to Nashville, TN, 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 home, tickets and FAQ pages. No Tennessee or Metro Nashville health-authority text was fetched, so no regulatory detail is asserted. No claim here is a conclusion about how clean any particular booth will be
No one under the age of 18 will be tattooed. Children are allowed to attend with parental discretion advised, and children under 12 attend free. Attendees are told to bring their ID. This is stated by the organizer; Tennessee state body-art regulations were not fetched for this record and are not asserted here
The expo is presented by a licensed Nashville tattoo studio, Safe House Tattoo Studio. The organizer publishes an Aftercare Instructions page but does not publish a floor-wide licensing or sterilization standard on the captured pages
The organizer links an Aftercare Instructions page from the site footer
Attendees are told to bring ID and cash. Beyond the age gate and the media policy, the organizer publishes no separate bag, security or first-aid statement on the captured pages
The organiser publishes nothing on Any organizer statement on sterilization, single-use needles or ink, or autoclaving, Named first aid or medical arrangement on site and A detailed consent-form requirement. Ask the artist you are booking with, and expect a licensed booth to answer without hesitating.
Checked 2026-09-05The experience
What's special
The Middle Tennessee Tattoo Expo is a three-day, studio-run show at The Fairgrounds Nashville, presented by the local Safe House Tattoo Studio and now in its third year. The draw is scale and choice: the organizer advertises over 350 attending artists, and the 2026 lineup page named roughly 280 of them, most taking walk-ups with flash and pre-drawn designs ready while custom work can be booked ahead through each artist's listed contact. Admission is simple and separate from the cost of a tattoo: $25 for a single day or $50 for all three, plus Tennessee sales tax, with children under 12 free and no one under 18 tattooed. Each day runs a full contest schedule on the Main Stage at $10 cash per entry, judged by a panel of three, including a Sunday Dolly charity category that benefits Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, alongside the Body Suit Art Show and live art showcases. Food trucks, the Fairgrounds cafe, Elegy Coffee and a venue bar keep the floor fed, parking is $10 a day cash, and same-day re-entry is available if you ask for the ticket on the way out
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.
Piercers work alongside the tattoo booths. The same questions apply: age, ID, sterilisation and aftercare.
Machines, inks, aftercare, art and clothing. Aimed at artists, but open to anyone through the door.
Painting, flash and print work hung or sold, judged separately from tattoos at some shows.
Getting tattooed here
Admission gets you through the door, not into a chair. Tattoo work is arranged with the artist, not with the show.
Custom work is best arranged by booking ahead: on the lineup page, clicking an artist's photo shows their preferred contact method and booking instructions. Many artists book through email or a website, and most book through Instagram; the organizer offers to help connect attendees who are not on Instagram
Walk-ups are welcome. Most artists have flash and pre-drawn designs ready to tattoo on-site, and attendees can select from thousands of designs on the day or bring their own idea and references. Bring ID and cash; many artists also accept Venmo or Cash App
Who is tattooing
Artists are listed by name or handle only; studio names and Instagram handles are not printed in the page text, but each artist's photo links to their preferred contact and booking method. The organizer's own scale claim is inconsistent between over 350 and over 380, and the FAQ said the lineup was being finalized around September 1, so it may still change
30 artists are listed for this edition, by name only, which is all the organiser publishes.
On the floor
- 2CanTat2
- Aaron Walker
- Abbey Martin
- Abbey Ruth
- Ace Medina
- Adam Jackson
- Adam The Kid
- Adrianne Shurina
- Aislyn Leigh
- Akasha Kuzov
- Alaska Sullivan
- Alex Farsalla
- Alex Faulkner
- Alex Joelle
- Alex Sublett
- Ali Morrow
- Alicia Whitaker
- Allie Marie
- Alton Sides
- Aly Rucker
- Alyssa Day
- Alyssa McNall
- Alyssa Monk
- Amanda Banx
- Amanda Stampfly
- Amy Ross
- Andre Perkins
- Anna Husband
- April Nicole
- Ariel
Contests and judging
30 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 Flash Sheet (attending artists)
- Best Body Suit Art (attending artists)
- Best Booth (attending artists)
- Best Banner (attending artists)
- Geometric
- Tribal / Blackwork
- Spooky
- Anime
- Pop Culture
- Realism
- American Traditional
- Japanese Traditional
- Neo-Traditional
- Best Overall Collector
- Tattoo of the Day (attending artists)
- Black & Grey: Small
- Black & Grey: Medium
- Black & Grey: Large
- Black & Grey: Sleeve
- Black & Grey: Torso
- Tattoo of the Day (attending artists)
- Color: Small
- Color: Medium
- Color: Large
- Color: Sleeve
- Color: Torso
- Dolly (charity)
- Collab
- Tattoo of the Day (attending artists)
- Best In Show (attending artists)
How entries work
Entry $10 per tattoo, cash only per piece.
Contests are open to all tattoo lovers and attending artists. Sign-ups must be done 30 minutes before the start of each contest, at the merch table near the Main Stage. Entries are judged by a panel of three artists, and winners receive custom MTTE awards. A fresh or healed tattoo may be entered in any category except the attending-artist-only categories. Sizing uses a standard 8.5 by 11 inch sheet: Small is smaller than half a sheet, Medium larger than half but smaller than a full sheet, Large larger than a full sheet but less than full limb or torso coverage; Sleeve is a full arm or leg and Torso a full back or front. Tattoo of the Day must be started and finished the same day; Best In Show must be started and completed during the expo
Around the tattooing
Also running
- Live art showcasesLive art showcases run each day alongside the contests
- The Body Suit Art ShowA featured display of full body-suit tattoo work, staged each day; also a contest category
- PiercingsPiercing is offered on the floor; no separate piercer roster or price list is published
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; bring ID and cash, and note many artists also accept Venmo or Cash App. Walk-ups can select from flash and pre-drawn designs, or book custom work ahead through the artist's preferred contact. Walk-up work is available across the floor; the cost is whatever the artist charges, on top of admission.
Extras, bought separately
Tattoo contest entry: A contest entry fee paid by the entrant, not admission and not the price of a tattoo.
Admission prices exclude 9.75% Tennessee sales tax, added at checkout. The $10 contest entry and the $10 per day parking are NOT admission prices and are fenced separately
The market and the food
The market floor carries retail and body-art vendors.
Food on site: food trucks, fairgrounds concessions and cafe, coffee vendor (Elegy Coffee) and venue bar.
The FAQ says there will be 2 to 3 food trucks plus the Fairgrounds concessions and cafe, with Elegy Coffee and the venue bar serving both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
Hours and the floor
The Fairgrounds Nashville, using Expo Buildings 1 and 2, with the ticketing entrance at Expo 2, at 401 Wingrove Street in Nashville. On-site parking is $10 per day, cash only
Laid out as {'name': 'Expo Building 1', 'note': 'Part of the expo floor.', 'src': 'https://www.middletennesseetattoo.com/'}, {'name': 'Expo Building 2', 'note': 'Part of the expo floor; the ticketing entrance is here.', 'src': 'https://www.middletennesseetattoo.com/'} and {'name': 'Main Stage', 'note': 'Location of the tattoo contests; sign-ups are at the merch table nearby.', 'src': 'https://www.middletennesseetattoo.com/contests'}.
Food trucks, the Fairgrounds concessions and cafe, Elegy Coffee and the venue bar operate on site. Parking is $10 per day, cash only
Getting there
Nearest airport Nashville International Airport (BNA), about 6 miles east.
How do I get to Middle Tennessee Tattoo Expo?
By car
Most people drive to Middle Tennessee Tattoo Expo. The nearest major airport is Nashville International Airport (BNA), about 6 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
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Where
Venue
The Fairgrounds Nashville, Expo Buildings 1 and 2
Camping & Accommodation
No camping or lodging details for Middle Tennessee Tattoo Expo yet.
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Accessibility & comfort
What the organiser or venue publishes about getting around, and what they do not.
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Pricing
Price history and tiers
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