Thundertats Expo 2027
Oklahoma City's home-grown tattoo convention at the OKC Fairgrounds, blending serious tattooing with a family-friendly summer event.
Event details
- Dates: July 23-25, 2027
- Venue: The Pavilion, OKC Fairgrounds, Oklahoma City
- Location: Oklahoma City, OK
- Organizer: Thundertats Expo LLC
- Founded: N/A
- Frequency: Annual
- Attendance: Thousands over 3 days
- Artists / booths: Hundreds of artists
- Tickets: Single-day $20 (military $15); 3-day pass $50 (military $40); kids 10 and under free
- Tattoo competitions: yes, judged categories run across the weekend
- Website: https://www.thundertatsexpo.online/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thundertatsexpo
About
Thundertats Expo bills itself as Oklahoma City's premiere tattoo convention, taking over The Pavilion at the OKC Fairgrounds (the Oklahoma Expo Hall through 2026) for a three-day July weekend. Beyond the tattoo booths, the show leans into a festival atmosphere with a car show, face painting, and a bounce house alongside the contests.
That mix makes it a strong draw for walk-in collectors and families, giving visiting artists a high-traffic, casual crowd. Affordable passes and free entry for young kids keep the gate accessible and the floor busy across all three days.
What to expect
- Held in the Oklahoma Expo Hall at the OKC Fairgrounds
- Tattoos, piercings, and daily contests
- Festival extras: car show, face paint, bounce house
- Affordable day and weekend passes
- Kids 10 and under free with a paying adult
- Family-friendly, walk-in-heavy crowd
Best for
Artists wanting high walk-in volume from a family-friendly summer crowd
For artists: booths, applications, hours
Thundertats Expo runs July 23-25, 2027 at The Pavilion, OKC Fairgrounds, Oklahoma City. A 2027 booth is 10x10 and holds two artists plus two helpers: $600 returning artist, $700 new artist, $500 vendor. It includes two chairs, a table, artist passes, water, sanitation stations and trash disposal, and each additional person needs a pass.
Applications go through the form on the organizer's Apply For Booth page, one per shared booth, first come and first served. A $300 deposit per booth is due by October 1, 2026 and the balance by April 1, 2027; after that date every booth costs $700, and deposits are not refunded. Booths for 2026 sold out by January 3, 2026.
Artists from out of state get their own Oklahoma temporary tattoo license from the state health department, approved at least 30 days before the event. Oklahoma tattooing and sanitation rules and single-use equipment apply to everyone; no insurance, portfolio or health certificate is listed.
The 2027 contest pool is $14,000, with $1,000 Best of Day Color and Black and Grey awards each day and four $2,000 awards on Sunday. Judging starts at 6pm Friday and Saturday, 5pm Sunday; the Apprentice Olympics runs Friday at 5pm with 10 spots. Visitors paid $20 per day and $50 for three days in 2026; 2027 prices are not published.
Notable: Pairs the tattoo floor with a car show, face painting, and a bounce house for a true festival atmosphere.
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://www.thundertatsexpo.online/, https://okcfairpark.com/schedule/category/series/thundertats-expo/oklahoma-expo-hall/, https://www.instagram.com/thundertatsexpo/, https://www.thundertatsexpo.online/apply-for-booth, https://www.thundertatsexpo.online/faq-s, https://www.thundertatsexpo.online/categories, https://okcfairpark.com/building/the-pavilion/