LIVE EVENTS - HELL CITY OHIO 2026
LIVE EVENTS at HELL CITY OHIO 2026
"Krampus Is Coming!"
THURSDAY- COLUMBUS, OHIO
ARTISTS- BE SURE TO DO YOUR REQUIRED BLOOD BORNE PATHOGENS AND FIRST AID CERTIFICATION. CLICK HERE TO DO YOUR CERTIFICATION
5 pm – 8 pm – Early Artist & Vendor Set Up *ARTISTS & VENDORS ONLY*
5 pm – 8 pm – Artist Fine Art Gallery Drop – HC Fine Art Gallery
8 pm – 11 pm – Artist Meet & Greet Hellabration Party! – @ Big Bar on 2
11pm – HC Gates close to the public for remaining setup, the bar stays open!
FRIDAY- COLUMBUS, OHIO
12 pm – HELL CITY TATTOO FESTIVAL OPENS IT’S GATES!
12 pm – Fine Art Gallery & Special Events Open!
12 pm – Wet Paint Live Painting room opens! – Fine Art Gallery
12 pm – Tattoo Competition Registration Open – HC Main Stage
12 pm - HC Fine Art gallery opens to public! - Fine Art Gallery
12 pm - TATTOO BATTLE BOOTH BEGINS!
2 pm - 4 pm - Art Fusion Experiment - HC Mainstage
4:30 pm - Evil Easels - HC Mainstage
6 pm – LIVE Burlesque- TBA -Main Stage
8 pm - 11 pm - Friday Tattoo Competitions and Awards Ceremony
Awards Given by Hell City Hotties after each category! – HC Main Stage
8pm - FRIDAY TATTOO COMPETITIONS:
*Best Asian Tattoo
*Best New School
*Best Bio / Organic / Geometric
*Best Skull Tattoo
*Best Neo-Traditional
*Battle Booth Winner
*Tattoo Of The Day
11 pm – Hell City Hellions rest their souls…
11 pm – PARTY AT BIG BAR BEGINS @ Big Bar on 2
SATURDAY - COLUMBUS, OHIO
12 pm – HELL CITY TATTOO FESTIVAL OPENS IT’S GATES!
12 pm – Fine Art Gallery, & Special Events Open!
12 pm – Wet Paint Live Painting room opens! – Fine Art Gallery
12 pm – Tattoo Competition Registration Open – HC Main Stage
12 pm - Fine Art gallery opens! - Fine Art Gallery
12 pm - BATTLE BOOTH BEGINS!
2 pm - 4 pm - Art Fusion Experiment - HC Mainstage
4:30 pm - EVIL EASELS – HC Main Stage
6 pm - LIVE Burlesque- Madame Mira, Sista Soleé, Aquarius Moon -MainStage
8pm - 11pm - Saturday Tattoo Competitions and Awards Ceremony
Awards Given by Hell City Hotties after each category! – HC Main Stage
8pm - SATURDAY TATTOO COMPETITIONS:
*Best Small Color
*Best Small Black & Grey
*Best Traditional
*Best Arm / Leg Sleeve
*Best Back Piece / Chest Panel
*Worst Tattoo
*Battle Booth Winner
*Tattoo Of The Day
Awards Given by Hell City Hotties after each category! – HC Main Stage
11 pm – Artist, Collectors & Tattoo Enthusiasts Hellabration Party and Drink ‘n Draw!- @ Big Bar on 2
11 pm – PARTY AT BIG BAR BEGINS @ Big Bar on 2
2 am – Hell City Hellions rest their souls!
SUNDAY - COLUMBUS, OHIO
12 pm – HELL CITY TATTOO FESTIVAL RE-OPENS IT’S GATES!
12 pm – Fine Art Gallery, & Special Events Open!
12 pm – Wet Paint Live Painting performance opens! – Fine Art Gallery
12 pm – Tattoo Competition Registration Open – HC Main Stage
12 pm - Fine Art gallery opens! - Fine Art Gallery
12 pm - BATTLE BOOTH BEGINS!
1 pm - 2 pm - Art Fusion Experiment - HC Mainstage
2 pm – Best Krampus Halloween Costume Contest– HC Main Stage
3 pm - LIVE Burlesque- Madame Mira, Sista Soleé, Aquarius Moon -MainStage
4pm - 7pm - Sunday Tattoo Competitions and Awards Ceremony
Awards Given by Hell City Hotties after each category! – HC Main Stage
4pm - SUNDAY TATTOO COMPETITIONS:
* Best Large Color
* Best Large Black & Grey (includes tribal)
* Best Portrait / Realism (color & b&g)
* Best Overall Collector - Male & Female
* Best Wet Painter
*Battle Booth Winner!
* Tattoo of the Day Contest
* Best of Show
Awards Given by Hell City Hotties after each category! – HC Main Stage
7 pm – HELL CITY TATTOO FEST IS EXORCISED, SEE YOU ALL BACK IN 2027!
7 pm – CLOSING ARTISTS PARTY AT BIG BAR BEGINS @ Big Bar on 2
HELL CITY TATTOO FEST
2026 LIVE ACTS
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QUEEN BEE BURLESQUE LIVE at Hell City 2026
You don’t want to miss this year‘s amazing Burlesque Acts on the Hell City main stage!
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The Art Fusion Experiment
Live at the Main Stage everyday!
The Art Fusion Experiment brought to you by Paul Booth, Filip Leu, and Guy Aitchison. This performance art involves between 3 to 5 artists collaborating, changing canvases every 3 to 5 minutes, and completing pieces of art done in charcoal, color pastels, or other mediums. At the main stage everyday!
The Art Fusion Experiment will be held at the Hell City Tattoo Festival on the HC Second Stage periodically throughout the entire weekend. This event is a definite crowd pleaser and shouldn’t be missed!
There will also be a silent auction for all the completed work. You must be present at the end of the auction to receive the artwork or it will go to the next bidder. Be sure to check out The Art Fusion Experiment Website to see more on the history and process of this amazing collaborative art project!
SEE MORE HERE!
FRIDAY:
2 PM – 4 PM
SATURDAY:
2pm - 4pm
SUNDAY:
12 PM - 1 PM
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WET PAINT PROJECT LIVE!
ALL WEEKEND!
Live painting & art made right before your eyes!
Presented by @hell_city & @chrisdingwell
Once again, Chris Dingwell will be bringing together nearly 30 of the tattoo world’s finest and most exciting artists who will be creating their work LIVE ON STAGE before your very eyes at this year's Hell City Tattoo Festival! Over a dozen local, as well as artists from around the country, will be working on their creations all weekend long. They will be fueling each others imaginations and sparking their creative flames. Come witness the artistic process in action all weekend long! You might even be able to buy the artwork whose birth you’ve witnessed at Hell City! With this years unbeatable line-up of artists, there won’t be a dull moment on the WET PAINT PROJECT Stages all weekend long!
SEE MORE HERE!
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Tattoo Competition Schedule
The all NEW "Best Skull" Category trophies by Zushi Skull!!
REGISTER AT MAINSTAGE AT HELL CITY
FRIDAY
12 pm – 8 pm – Tattoo Competition Registration – $20 per entry- (REGISTER AT HELL CITY MAINSTAGE)
FRIDAY:
* Best Asian Tattoo
* Best New School
* Best Bio / Organic / Geometric
* Best Skull Tattoo - Color or B&G
* Best Neo Traditional
* Battle Booth Winner
* Tattoo Of The Day
8 pm – 11 pm – Competitions & Awards – (Main Stage)
Tattoo Awards Given after each category is finished being judged – Awards given to winners by Hell City Hotties – (Main Stage)
SATURDAY
12 pm – 8 pm – Tattoo Competition Registration – $20 per entry - (REGISTER AT HELL CITY MAINSTAGE)
SATURDAY:
* Best Small Color
* Best Small Black & Grey
* Best Traditional
* Best Arm / Leg Sleeve
* Best Back Piece / Chest Panel
* Worst Tattoo
* Battle Booth Winner
* Tattoo Of The Day
8 pm – 11 pm – Competitions & Awards – (Main Stage)
Tattoo Awards Given after each category is finished being judged – Awards given to winners by Hell City Hotties – (Main Stage)
SUNDAY
12 pm – 4 pm – Tattoo Competition Registration –$20 per entry - (REGISTER AT HELL CITY MAINSTAGE)
2pm - Best Krampus Halloween Costume Contest– HC Main Stage
SUNDAY:
* Best Large Color
* Best Large Black & Grey (includes tribal)
* Best Portrait / Realism (color & b&g)
* Best Overall Collector - Male & Female
* Best Wet Painter
* Battle Booth Winner
* Tattoo of the Day Contest
* Best of Show
4 pm – 7 pm – Competitions & Awards – (Main Stage)
Tattoo Awards Given after each category is finished being judged – Awards given to winners by Hell City Hotties – (Main Stage)
SEE MORE COMPETITION INFO HERE!
The all NEW "Tattoo Of The Day" Category trophies by Zushi Skull
SUNDAY 2PM -
Best Krampus Halloween Costume Contest– HC Main Stage
Sunday on the @hell_city Ohio Mainstage, don’t miss your chance to be a part of the “Krampus Halloween Costume Contest” at this year’s Hell City Tattoo Fest in Columbus Ohio Nov 6th-8th at the Hyatt Regency Columbus .
Put on your best Krampus or Spooky Halloween costume and participate in the “Krampus Halloween Costume Contest” on the main stage. Winner of the best costume contest wins $200 cash prize and other gifts from the Hell City Tattoo Festival! Judging will be done by applause meter from the attendees in the crowd choosing their favorite costume and character! Get those Krampus and Halloween Costumes ready for One Hell Of A Krampus Costume Contest at Hell City, Ohio this November in booming downtown Columbus, Ohio!
SUNDAY 2PM - MAIN STAGE
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HELL CITY HOTTIES
OFFICIAL TROPHY GIRLS OF HELL CITY
Official Tattooed Trophy Girls of The Hell City!
Hell City Hotties / All Weekend
The Hell City Hotties are the official trophy models at the Hell City Tattoo Fest. This beautiful and sexy group of aspiring tattooed women make the Hell City Tattoo Festival mainstage even hotter every year as they take to the main stage to hand out all of the custom awards and gifts to the lucky winners of the head to head tattoo competitions over the tattoo festival weekend. In addition to the stage, you can also find this collection of seductively tattooed models at the Official Hell City Hotties booth right near the mainstage where you can purchase prints, get autographs and take photos with all of your favorite Hell City Hotties! See more info over at the Official Hotties page at www.hellcityhotties.com !
SEE MORE HERE!
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Tattoo Battle Booth at Hell City 2026
Tattoo Battle Booth takes place daily starting at 12 NOON!
The Tattoo Battle Booth At Hell City Tattoo Festival 2026 is a resurrection of head to head tattoo competitions returning to Hell City. The last time this format was at Hell City was Guy Aitchison VS Aaron Cain during the “Tattoo Wars” television series that filmed At Hell City. Now Hell City is adding their own modern spin, pitting two different artists against each other every day with different styles to see who takes the “Battle Booth Belt” home. The voting will take place at this year's Hell City Tattoo Festival with the audience casting their votes for their favorite tattoo that was done and essentially crowning the tattoo Battle Booth Winner at Hell City 2026 in both Phoenix, Arizona as well as Columbus, Ohio.
COLUMBUS, OHIO 2026
FRIDAY BATTLE: Ty McEwen VS Adam France
SATURDAY BATTLE: Dave Tevenal VS Joe Capobianco
SUNDAY BATTLE: Jesse Smith VS Golden Yeti
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EVIL EASELS
A LIVE Color Pastel Art Contest!
Now’s your chance to be a part of an Art Fusion Contest at @hell_city ? A NEW event, “Evil Easels” ignites at the @hell_city Tattoo Festival main stage on Friday & Saturday Only!! Evil Easels comes in hotter than hell with a fast-paced live Art Fusion showdown contest on Friday & Saturday Only at @hell_city .
Evil Easels feature three artists that go head-to-head in an intense 30-minute round, pushing creativity, speed, and skill to the limit in front of a live Hell City audience. As the clock runs out, the crowd takes control with audience voting determines who claims victory, making the Evil Easel not just a competition, but an interactive spectacle where energy, artistry, and crowd connection to decide the winner right on the Hell City main stage on both Friday and Saturday! Friday & Saturday Only / Right after Art Fusion!
3-5 artists Only each day. 30 minute round each day. Audience votes on winner!
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FINE ART GALLERY
From flesh to canvas!
The Hell City Tattoo Festival Fine Art Gallery features many other works of art in various mediums. Works displayed in the fine art gallery are from attending Hell City tattoo artists who showcase their other talents including paintings, sculptures, and flash. Be sure to swing by the Fine Art Gallery to see Hell City artists take their art from flesh to canvas! Come feast your eyes on all of the incredible paintings that will blow your mind!
SEE MORE HERE!
Gabriel Londis @DrawingDeadArt from 9th Realm Gallery @9thRealmGallery will be bringing his Art Exhibit “SKULLS” to @Hell_City Columbus this November the 6th-8th at the @HyattRegency.Columbus in downtown Columbus, Ohio!
Gabriel Londis’s Art Gallery Exhibit SKULLS will be on display inside the HC Main Ballroom in the 9th Realm Gallery Booth all weekend long. If you have been to either Hell City Columbus or Phoenix you have seen Gabriel’s tattoo art on display in the many tattoo competition categories. The past decade Gabriel Londis has become the most award winning tattoo competition winner in Hell City history. Sweeping categories, many Tattoo of the Days, countless first place wins, and multiple Artist of Shows. At this past Hell City Phoenix Gabe took home Best in Show for an amazing tattoo he collaborated on with a Jacob Sheffield and taking home the first ever Sunday @TattooBattleBooth win! Don’t miss this amazing Art Show exclusively at Hell City Columbus this November 6th-8th at the Hyatt Regency in booming downtown Columbus, Ohio!
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TATTOO-INE SUNSET - HELL CITY DRINK AT THE BARS!
Get ready to toast to the galaxy at this year’s Hell City Tattoo Festival with our exclusive Star Wars-inspired cocktail—the Tattoo-Ine Sunset ! Crafted with tequila, pineapple juice, orange juice, and a splash of raspberry jalapeño syrup, this bold and fiery drink mirrors the twin suns of Tatooine and packs just the right punch for rebels and bounty hunters alike. Available during Hell City, the Tattoo-Ine Sunset is the perfect way to sip in the Star Wars-themed festivities. May the pour be with you!
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Hell City Pool Party
Hell City Phoenix, Arizona Tattoo Pool Party promises to be an electrifying convergence of ink, artistry, and celebration in the heart of the desert. Set against the backdrop of Phoenix's vibrant landscape, this iconic event will unite tattoo enthusiasts, artists, and aficionados for an unforgettable weekend. From breathtaking tattoo showcases to fun poolside experiences, attendees can anticipate a fusion of creativity and camaraderie.
With renowned artists showcasing their mastery, guests will have the opportunity to witness live demonstrations and engage with the forefront of tattoo culture. Amidst the scorching Arizona sun, the pool party atmosphere will pulsate with music, laughter, and the shared passion for body art. Hell City Phoenix is poised to redefine the boundaries of tattoo conventions, inviting individuals from across the globe to immerse themselves in a whirlwind of inspiration and excitement.
OFFICIAL CLOTHING & SWAG OF HELL CITY
Get all your hellion tattoo clothing, merchandise and other hellish tattoo gear right here! For Pre-Sale Tickets, Hell City Clothing, DVD's, Books, Hell City Swag, Convention Advertising and items from Durb's private stash and much more!