Did you know that one in four Australians is inked up? Gone are the days of tattoos being considered taboo or instant job-stoppers – now they're an art form that's readily celebrated. If you're eager to add to your collection of ink or to pop your tattoo cherry, you're in luck: the first-ever Inked Expo is landing at Melbourne Showgrounds from February 10-12.
Led by the team at Melbourne Tattoo Supplies, the three-day expo will bring together tattoo artists, cosmetic artists, spiritual gurus, food trucks, live music and special VIP guests. More than 220 tattoo artists and vendors will be showcasing their artwork and offering services like walk-ins, flash tattoos and pre-bookings. From script lettering and neo-traditional to blackwork and Japanese, you'll find artists here who work across all sorts of artistic styles.
Across the weekend, you can also look forward to watching talented ink slingers compete in ink-off battles; listening to discussion panels on topics like tattoo aftercare and career successes and failures; hearing the winners of the Inked Expo Tattoo Awards; and catching live performances by artists like Olivia Escuyos, Kill Carter and Future Static.
If you're planning on getting inked, it's important to eat a big meal beforehand; luckily, heaps of food trucks will be at the ready serving tasty eats like burgers, ribs, souvlaki, gyros, nachos, enchiladas and more. All food trucks will have vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.
Tickets start at $41 for single-day passes, $69 for two-day passes and $80 for three-day passes. Learn more and purchase your tickets at the website.