Hell City Tattoo Festival (Phoenix, AZ) 2027

Arizona's biggest tattoo convention at the Arizona Biltmore, with 250+ artists, daily tattoo contests, and live entertainment.

Event details

• Dates: August 20-22, 2027
• Venue: Arizona Biltmore, Phoenix, AZ
• Location: Phoenix, AZ
• Organizer: Hell City (Durb Morrison)
• Founded: 2002
• Frequency: Annual
• Attendance: N/A
• Artists / booths: 250-300+ artists
• Tickets: $30-$35/day - $80 weekend
• Tattoo competitions: yes, judged categories run across the weekend
• Website: https://hellcity.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hell_city/

About

Held each August at the historic Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, the Hell City Tattoo Festival is Arizona's largest tattoo convention, drawing more than 250 artists, vendors, and live painters across three days. Hell City was founded in 2002 by veteran tattooer Durb Morrison - the brand originated in Columbus, Ohio, and now runs two annual editions, with Phoenix as its long-standing Southwest stop. It pairs a working convention floor with daily tattoo competitions, a fine art gallery, and live-painting projects.

For artists, the draw is the mix of competition and exposure: dozens of judged categories, head-to-head tattoo battles, seminars, and a well-curated peer crowd. The event leans into spectacle as well, with mainstage acts, burlesque, and other entertainment that pull a steady public audience past the booths.

What to expect

• Daily tattoo competitions across dozens of categories with custom awards
• Battle Booth head-to-head live tattoo battles
• Wet Paint Project and Art Fusion Experiment live painting
• Fine Art Gallery showcasing artist works
• Mainstage live acts, bands, and burlesque entertainment
• 250-300+ tattoo artists, vendors, and industry professionals

Best for

Custom and fine-art tattoo artists seeking competition, exposure, and peer recognition

Notable: Founded in 2002 by veteran tattooer Durb Morrison (the brand began in Columbus, Ohio), Hell City's Phoenix edition has long been Arizona's largest tattoo convention.

How we check this listing

We last confirmed these details on 2026-09-05. Dates and prices are taken from the organizer and change between editions, so treat the organizer's own page as final before you book travel or a booth.

Checked against: https://hellcityclothing.myshopify.com/, https://hellcity.com/, https://www.instagram.com/hell_city/