Pattaya will become a meeting point for tattoo artists, collectors and enthusiasts from around the world this October, when the Pattaya Tattoo Festival 2026 takes over Royal Garden Plaza for two days.
Also billed as the International Tattoo Amazing Fest Pattaya 2026, the third edition of the event will take place on Friday, October 2 and Saturday, October 3, 2026.
The festival combines tattoo competitions and showcases with international artists, judges, exhibitors and entertainment, making it an event for serious tattoo enthusiasts as well as anyone simply interested in tattoo art and culture.
Event information: Details are based on information published by the event organisers at the time of writing. Schedules, participating artists and other event details may change before the festival takes place.
Pattaya Tattoo Festival 2026: What to expect
The event is expected to bring together tattoo artists from Thailand and overseas, with artists already announced from countries including China, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Russia, the United States, Norway, Moldova, Taiwan, Malaysia and elsewhere.
For visitors, the festival offers the chance to see tattoo artists working, explore different styles of tattoo art and see competition pieces being judged, alongside the atmosphere of a large international tattoo gathering.
The organisers are continuing to announce participating artists and other details in the run-up to the event.
The scale of the previous edition gives some idea of what to expect. The 2025 International Tattoo Amazing Fest at the same venue featured more than 150 booths and artists from more than 27 countries, with 19 tattoo competition categories.
The 2025 festival also attracted thousands of visitors to Royal Garden Plaza, demonstrating that the event is aimed at a considerably wider audience than tattoo professionals alone.
When and where is the Pattaya Tattoo Festival?
Event: Pattaya Tattoo Festival 2026
Official name: International Tattoo Amazing Fest Pattaya 2026
Dates: Friday, October 2 – Saturday, October 3, 2026
Venue: Royal Garden Plaza, Pattaya
Address: 218 Beach Road, Nongprue, Bang Lamung, Chon Buri 20150
The festival will be held at Royal Garden Plaza on Pattaya Beach Road.
The 2025 edition occupied the mall’s G-1 level, although the exact 2026 layout and programme have not yet been published.
International tattoo artists
A growing list of artists has already been announced for the 2026 festival, with both international tattooists and a strong contingent from Pattaya and elsewhere in Thailand.
Among the artists announced so far are:
- BIW – Improvise Ink Tattoo Pattaya
- LAME – BL Tattoo Pattaya
- TONNAM – Glory Tattoo Pattaya
- POP – Glory Tattoo Pattaya
- OONG ZOMBIEZ – Glory Tattoo Pattaya
- ARM – Life Ink Pattaya
- AON – Aon Tattoo Pattaya
- GUIDE – 38 Tattoo Studio
- Bozhko Denis – Russia
- Max MacAndrews – Norway
- Nikita Tokhteev – Moldova
- Tadashi Monclova – USA
- Gunny – USA
- Yugo – Japan
- Sakura Yamamoto – Japan
- HoriseKi – China
- Soul Whisper Ink – Taiwan
- Tô Thiện – Vietnam
- Pham Xiêm – Vietnam
This is only a selection: the organisers have been announcing additional artists regularly, and the final 2026 artist roster is expected to be considerably larger.
For visitors who aren’t tattoo enthusiasts, that international element is perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the festival. It brings artists working in very different styles together in one location, from Japanese traditional and realism to blackwork, colour, new school and more.
International judges
The 2026 festival will also feature an international judging panel.
Judges announced so far include:
- HORIMOREN – China
- HORIFUJI – China
- SEAN OH – Singapore
- AGUS TAN – Singapore
- YOICHI TANAKA – Japan
- PIT FUN – Malaysia
- Tanawat Saeheng – Thailand
Additional judging announcements have also been made by the organisers.
The international judging panel is an important part of the competition side of the festival, with artists competing for awards across different tattoo styles and categories.
Special guest and poster designer
The festival has also announced Marko Stamenkovic from Serbia as a special guest for the 2026 event.
Stamenkovic is the official poster designer for this year’s festival and will be attending the event in Pattaya. The organisers describe him as an international tattoo artist who has participated in tattoo conventions and competitions in Europe, Asia and elsewhere.
Tattoo competitions
Tattoo competitions are at the heart of the festival.
The organisers have already announced a new category for 2026:
Best of Skull
The Best of Skull competition will have its own custom trophies, designed around a distinctive skull-and-ram-horns theme.
The organisers have described it as a new category for this year’s festival, with the message:
“The Skull Is Calling.”
Other competition categories for 2026 are being announced by the organisers. The previous edition featured competitions covering styles and formats including realistic tattoos, Japanese tattooing, old school and new school, lettering, blackwork, small and large tattoos, Best of the Day and Best of Show. The 2025 programme included 19 categories in total.
The full 2026 competition schedule has not yet been published.
More than just tattooing
Although tattoo competitions and artists are the main attraction, the festival is designed as a broader celebration of tattoo culture.
The 2025 event included artist showcases, live tattooing, technique exchanges, booths and entertainment, alongside the competitions.
There were also displays involving custom cars and motorcycles, as well as live music and DJs.
The organisers have also announced sponsors and partners for the 2026 event, including tattoo ink and equipment brands, while motorcycle and custom-culture groups are involved.
Further entertainment and programme details for 2026 are still being announced.
Is the Pattaya Tattoo Festival free?
Admission details for 2026 have not yet been published.
The 2025 International Tattoo Amazing Fest was free to attend, with Royal Garden Plaza advertising free admission to the two-day event.
Visitors should check the latest information from the organisers before travelling, as 2026 admission arrangements have not yet been confirmed.
Do you need to be getting a tattoo to attend?
No.
The festival is intended as a public event as well as a gathering for tattoo artists and enthusiasts. Visitors can come to see the artists, competitions, artwork, booths and other activities without necessarily having a tattoo done.
For anyone interested in tattoo art, body art, custom culture or simply something different to see in Pattaya, it should be an unusual addition to the city’s October events calendar.
Pattaya Tattoo Festival 2026: What we know so far
Some details of the 2026 festival are still being released by the organisers, including the full timetable, complete competition schedule, final artist list and entertainment programme.
We’ll update this page as more information becomes available.
For the hardcore: artists, judges and competition details
If you’re coming to Pattaya specifically for the tattoo festival — or you’re interested in the professional side of the event — there is considerably more going on than the general visitor information above suggests.
The organisers have been releasing artist announcements individually through their social-media channels, with a growing international roster.
More 2026 artists announced
The announced roster includes artists from:
Thailand: BIW, Non Korat Tattoo Samurai, Tae Suradech, LAME, Tonnam, POP, Oong Zombiez, ARM, AON, GUIDE, Pang DSD, Naew Nom and others.
China: Daiwa, Zhao Feng Yi Pai, Yong Cui, Horiseki, TripleNine, Ciigo, Tang_Gaodi, Pomelo, Danny, Xi, Cash and others.
Japan: Yugo, Sakura Yamamoto, Gouki, Engok, Ryuji, Koh and Kee.
USA: Tadashi Monclova and DivineWicked, among others.
Vietnam: Tô Thiện and Pham Xiêm.
Other announced artists include Bozhko Denis from Russia, Nikita Tokhteev from Moldova, Max MacAndrews from Norway, Soul Whisper Ink from Taiwan, Sylvia from Malaysia, Nadeesha Maheshan from Sri Lanka and Anastasiia from Ukraine.
This list is not intended to be a complete artist directory. More artists are continuing to be announced ahead of the festival.
Competition rules
The organisers have published specific rules for the 2026 Best categories.
Entries must be original work created by the participating artist. Copying another tattoo artist’s work, artwork, designs or images from the internet is prohibited.
Reference images can be used for inspiration, but the finished tattoo must be a newly created design reflecting the artist’s own creativity and style.
An entry found to have been copied can be disqualified.
The festival has also published general event rules covering matters including smoking, weapons and alcohol use by committee members and judges while on duty. Visitors under 18 are required to have a guardian or advisor present according to the published rules.
2025 competition categories
The previous edition featured 19 competition categories, covering a broad range of tattoo styles and formats.
Among the categories and competition formats used in 2025 were:
- Small Size Tattoo
- Old School Tattoo
- New School Tattoo
- Black & Grey Tattoo
- Black Work / Tribal Tattoo
- Lettering Tattoo
- Japanese Tattoo
- Realistic Tattoo
- Big Size Tattoo
- Best of the Day
- Best of Show
- Best of Skull
The 2026 categories should not be assumed to be identical to 2025 until the organisers publish the complete 2026 competition schedule.
International judging
The announced 2026 judging panel includes artists and tattoo specialists from several Asian countries, including:
HORIMOREN, HORIFUJI, SEAN OH, AGUS TAN, YOICHI TANAKA, PIT FUN and Tanawat Saeheng.
Further judges have been announced or may be added as the festival approaches.
The 2025 festival
The previous edition provides useful context for the scale of the event.
Held at Royal Garden Plaza in September 2025, the festival featured:
- 150+ booths
- 27+ countries represented
- 19 tattoo competition categories
- International artists and judges
- Live tattooing and demonstrations
- Artist showcases
- Tattoo equipment and related exhibitors
- Music and entertainment
- Custom car and motorcycle displays
Royal Garden Plaza advertised the 2025 festival as free admission, while post-event coverage reported thousands of visitors over the two days.
The 2025 event was organised with the involvement of Pattaya City, Royal Garden Plaza and organisations including the Tourism Authority of Thailand and TCEB, and was promoted as part of efforts to establish Pattaya as a destination for international tattoo culture and creative tourism.
Pattaya Tattoo Festival 2026 contact and updates
The event’s official social-media presence is currently the best source for new artist, judge and competition announcements.
Pattaya Tattoo Festival
Dates: October 2–3, 2026
Venue: Royal Garden Plaza Pattaya
Phone: 092 776 5620
Further details will be added as the organisers announce the 2026 programme. Follow the Pattaya Tattoo Festival Facebook page for updates.