Niagara Tattoo Expo

A three-day tattoo expo set steps from the falls, drawing artists and collectors to the Niagara Falls Convention Center each summer.

Event details

About

Now in its 13th edition, the Niagara Tattoo Expo has grown into one of Western New York's anchor tattoo events, filling the Niagara Falls Convention Center with hundreds of artists across a long weekend. The show pairs serious tattooing with the tourist energy of one of the country's most-visited destinations, making it as much a getaway as a convention.

Daily contests, live tattooing, and a steady stream of walk-in collectors give visiting artists a reliable flow of work, while the riverside location turns the weekend into a destination in its own right. The combination of a strong regional draw and a marquee setting keeps the expo on the calendar for Northeast and Canadian artists alike.

What to expect

Best for

Northeast and Canadian artists wanting tourist-corridor walk-in volume

For artists: booths, applications, hours

Niagara Tattoo Expo #13 ran July 31 to August 2, 2026 at the Niagara Falls Convention Center in Niagara Falls, New York. The show keeps to the first weekend of August: August 2-4 in 2024, August 1-3 in 2025.

There is no public booth form. A new artist sends a portfolio or social media link to the organizer's published email address and gets the registration form back by email; returning artists receive it without asking. The organizer called 2026 spots limited, and no application deadline is published.

Niagara County requires a Health Officer certificate before anyone tattoos in the county, convention floor included (code amended 2016, updated July 2017). An artist from outside the county applies in advance for a temporary 14-day certification, which carries a written test or interview and must reach the county Health Department at least two weeks before the event (2017 code). The 2025 fee schedule lists $50 for temporary artist certification, $100 for the temporary establishment permit and inspection, and a 50 percent late fee past 15 days before the first day of operation.

The 2017 code also governs the booth: a negative-growth spore test from an independent lab dated within the last 30 days for each shop represented, sterilizer peel-pack bags dated within 30 days, and the temporary permit on display.

Notable: Held within walking distance of Niagara Falls, blending a tattoo convention with one of North America's top tourist destinations.

How we check this listing

We last confirmed these details on 2026-07-06. 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://niagaratattooexpoinfo.com/, https://inkppl.com/en/tattooevents/2026/august-2026/niagara-tattoo-expo-13, https://www.instagram.com/niagaratattooexpo/, https://downloads.niagaracounty.gov/Document_center/Department/A%20-F/Environmental/Niagara%20County%20Tattoo%20Code%20-%20Updated%20July%202017.pdf, https://downloads.niagaracounty.gov/Document_center/Department/A%20-F/Environmental/Fee%20Schedule-Effective%2008-15-2025.pdf