Twin Cities Tattoo Festival
Annual independent tattoo festival at Saint Paul RiverCentre with 200+ artists, live tattooing, vendors and contests.
Event details
- Last held: July 24-26, 2026
- Next edition: to be announced
- Venue: Saint Paul RiverCentre
- Location: St. Paul, MN
- Organizer: Twin Cities Tattoo Festival (independent; not Villain Arts)
- Founded: 2023
- Frequency: Annual
- Attendance: ~3,000
- Artists / booths: 200+ artists
- Tickets: Single-day and weekend passes; online and at the door. See website.
- Tattoo competitions: yes, judged categories run across the weekend
- Website: https://twincitiestattoofestival.com/
- Instagram: @twincitiestattoofestival
About
The Twin Cities Tattoo Festival is an annual three-day event held at the Saint Paul RiverCentre in St. Paul, Minnesota. Launched in 2023, the 2026 edition marks its fourth year, gathering 200+ international and local tattoo artists alongside 30+ vendors.
Attendees can get walk-in tattoos on a first-come basis, watch live tattooing, shop supply and merchandise vendors, and enter daily and weekend tattoo contests judged across roughly 45 award categories. It is an independent event with no affiliation to Villain Arts.
What to expect
- 200+ international and local tattoo artists
- Three days of live tattooing and walk-in appointments
- Daily and weekend tattoo contests across ~45 award categories
- 30+ supply and merchandise vendors
- Held at the centrally located Saint Paul RiverCentre
- Independent festival, not tied to a national tour operator
Best for
Midwest collectors seeking a large independent convention
For artists: booths, applications, hours
A 10x10 artist booth for the July 23-25, 2027 edition is $875 for up to 2 artists; a corner 10x10 is $1,300. The 2027 booth includes 4 chairs, 2 tables, electricity and one weekend artist pass per artist, plus a courtesy helper pass per booth redeemed before Friday 11 am. Health department fees are billed separately. A $300 deposit with $575 due 45 days before the show is offered; booths and deposits are non-refundable.
2027 booths are requested via the Tattoo Fest form, a portfolio review: include each artist's portfolio link and shop Instagram; approvals usually come within 5 business days. As of September 2026 no deadline is printed and 2027 booths are in stock. Every artist needs a Minnesota Full Technician License or, from out of state, a $140 Temporary Technician License valid 30 days per calendar year.
2026 hours: Friday July 24 1-10 pm, Saturday July 25 11 am-10 pm, Sunday July 26 11 am-7 pm. 2026 admission was at the door only, cash only, children 12 and under at no charge. 2026 contests cost $10 per category, Tattoo of the Day at no charge; healed categories accept work done anywhere by any artist.
Venue: Saint Paul RiverCentre, 175 Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55102; its skyway-connected parking ramp posted the 2026 event rate on signage only.
Notable: One of the Upper Midwest's largest independent (non-Villain Arts) tattoo festivals.
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://twincitiestattoofestival.com/, https://www.worldtattooevents.com/twin-cities-tattoo-festival-2026/, https://www.rivercentre.org/events/detail/twin-cities-tattoo-festival-1, https://tattoofest.com/booths/, https://tattoofest.com/faqs/, https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/providers/bodyart/techinfo.html, https://www.rivercentre.org/events/detail/tattoo-fest-twin-cities-2026, https://twincitiestattoofestival.com/admission/, https://twincitiestattoofestival.com/tattoo-competitions/