Kings & Queens of Ink Tattoo Expo 2027

Mississippi's capital-city tattoo expo at the Mississippi Trade Mart, drawing 100-plus elite artists for live tattooing, contests, and entertainment.

Event details

About

The Kings & Queens of Ink Tattoo Expo is the main tattoo convention in Mississippi's capital, held at the Mississippi Trade Mart in downtown Jackson. Now in its fourth year, the expo gathers more than 100 elite tattoo artists for a weekend of live tattooing, juried contests and awards, art showcases, and exclusive merch, anchored in a central, ADA-accessible venue with easy interstate access.

The event pairs the tattooing with a broader entertainment program, including live music, food trucks, celebrity guests, and meet-and-greets. With $15 admission and pay-at-the-door availability, it positions itself as an accessible flagship for the Jackson tattoo scene.

What to expect

Best for

Mississippi collectors wanting the state's flagship capital-city expo

For artists: booths, applications, hours

Kings & Queens of Ink: Southern InkFest runs April 16-18, 2027 at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds in Jackson, Mississippi. The fifth year puts the expo floor in the Trade Mart, 63,000 square feet of hall without columns, with 100+ artists planned for 2027.

For 2027 a standard 10x10 booth is $600 and holds up to two artists, with two artist passes, two 6-foot tables, two chairs and basic electrical access included; inclusions multiply with each added 10x10. A 10x20 is $1,200, a 10x30 $1,800, a 10x40 $2,400. A corner adds $75, and a 10x20 endcap with two corners is $1,350. Up to four booths go through the application.

The application is a five-step form on the organizer site with portfolio and social links and portfolio images for each artist, paid through Stripe as a 50% deposit or in full. Every application is reviewed and payment does not guarantee a booth; applicants who are not accepted get a full refund. After acceptance the payment is nonrefundable, and the remaining balance is due March 1, 2027, or the booth can be cancelled with nothing refunded.

Mississippi State Department of Health permits or temporary-event licensing for 2027, and the fees that go with them, stay with each artist. The show is photographed, so booths and displayed work may appear in event media.

Notable: Serves as the main tattoo convention in Mississippi's capital, now in its fourth year.

How we check this listing

We last confirmed these details on 2026-07-21. 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://www.kingsandqueensofink.net/, https://www.visitjackson.com/events/kings-queens-of-ink/, https://www.wjtv.com/news/daily-sip/4th-annual-kings-queens-of-ink-tattoo-expo/