‘It opens up doors and minds’: inside Sydney’s tattoo convention

Published 14 August 2026 · health

While some of the event’s 5,000 attenders arrive sporting full bodysuits and ready to compete, others are gearing up for their first tattoo At the

While some of the event’s 5,000 attenders arrive sporting full bodysuits and ready to compete, others are gearing up for their first tattoo At the Sydney tattoo convention, the city’s historic town hall fills with the buzz of tattoo machines, the comforting aroma of hospital-grade sanitiser and the timeless tunes of Linkin Park.

Convention founder and managing director of Thirteen Feet Tattoo studios, Katie Bailey, says it wasn’t easy to secure the 137-year-old venue. When she pitched it

to Sydney council for their first event four years ago, “at first they were nervous about it, they had people everywhere checking in on us,

but after that first event, they thought it was amazing. Tattooing and town hall just go together.” Continue reading...

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