One of many epic back pieces seen at Hell City Tattoo Festival 2026 in Phoenix.
Benjamin Leatherman
The Arizona Biltmore was awash in ink this past weekend.
The Hell City Tattoo Festival took over the Frank Lloyd Wright Ballroom at the Phoenix resort from Aug. 14 to 16 and featured more than 200 artists from Arizona and across the U.S. slinging ink and creating elaborate body art.
Hundreds of Valley residents attended this year’s Hell City in Phoenix, Arizona’s largest and longest-running tattoo event. Some came to get fresh ink. Others were there to show off their existing pieces and epic sleeves.
Everyone came to celebrate tattoo culture.
Art. Film. Dance. Books. Recreation. Even sex and dating. It’ll be fun, we promise.
THANK YOU!
You’re all set.
A gothy and witchy leg piece created at Hell City Tattoo Festival 2026 in Phoenix.
Hell City owner Durb Morrison says the event isn’t only for tattoo artists and people looking to get inked.
“The vibe of Hell City is very family oriented. There’s people that have been coming here since they were like 6 to 8 years old with their families, with their parents, that are now old enough to start getting tattoos.”
Hell City, which originated in Ohio and first came to the Valley in 2007, features well-known artists from the tattoo and body art world.
This year’s lineup included dark-art tattoo icon Paul Booth and several contestants from the reality competition show “Ink Master,” including Season 6 winner Dave Kruseman and Tucson’s Nikki Simpson, who competed on Season 8.
A judge evaluated a leg piece inspired by “Dragon Ball Z” during a tattoo competition at Hell City 2026 in Phoenix.
Booths throughout the ballroom stayed busy all weekend as artists worked on intricate back and chest pieces in a variety of body art styles. Colorful tattoos inspired by pop culture and anime. Stunning portraits rendered in realism. Twisted creatures inspired by mythology, horror and darker subject matter.
Tattoo competitions added to the action, with trophies awarded for new and existing pieces in several categories. Hell City also debuted the Battle Booth, a daily competition where ink-slingers squared off to create individual pieces inspired by a specific theme.
Here’s a look at some of the standout ink we spotted at Hell City 2026 in Phoenix.
A fantastical owl is the centerpiece of this standout tattoo created at Hell City 2026 in Phoenix.
A Hell City attendee shows off a tattoo inspired by the cover art of Linkin Park’s 2000 debut album, “Hybrid Theory.”
A colorful tattoo of Kyojuro Rengoku from the anime series “Demon Slayer” covers an attendee’s thigh at Hell City Tattoo Festival 2026.
A Hell City Phoenix attendee shows off his sleeve inspired by the anime “Solo Leveling” onstage during judging for the Best in Show award on Sunday, Aug. 16.
Texas-based artist Ciani Holman tattoos a client at Sea of Ink’s booth during Hell City Phoenix 2026.
This tattoo of the Lich King from “World of Warcraft” featured vivid shades of blue and purple.
North Carolina tattoo artist Maryssa Anne spent the entire weekend created a collaborative back piece with husband Oleksandr Khoroshun.
This detailed “Breaking Bad” tattoo depicts Walter White as Heisenberg.
A cartoonish tattoo of Gorillaz frontman 2-D shown off during a competition at Hell City Phoenix 2026.
This massive back piece mixes nuclear destruction and monstrous creatures.
A Hell City Phoenix attendee shows off a colorful stag beetle tattoo onstage at the event on Sunday, Aug. 16.
You can’t resist this cute Scooby-Doo tattoo seen at Hell City 2026 in Phoenix.
A Hell City attendee sports an elaborate tattoo covering the shaved side of their head.
Jeff “Golden Yeti” Barnard, left, inks the leg of a Hell City attendee during the Battle Booth competition on Sunday, Aug. 16.
Hell City owner Durb Morrison created this leg sleeve featuring LEGO versions of characters from “Star Wars Rebels.”
This shoulder tattoo of a unicorn had color and whimsy for days.
This chest piece taps into supernatural forces.
A colorful spider-woman tattoo combines bold reds and teal with webs and a watchful third eye.
Hell City’s tattoo competitions showcased some of the best pieces at the weekend-long event.
We’ll always have a soft spot for any Rat Fink-inspired tattoo.
This black-and-gray horror tattoo depicts the Headless Horseman.
This leg sleeve is both impressive and a little unnerving.
An upper-arm tattoo created at Hell City offers a colorful take on a Día de los Muertos-style katrina.
This tattoo taps into magical realms.
This fantastical tattoo features a horned figure depicted in black and orange tones.
A lot of craftmanship went into this portrait tattoo created at Hell City Phoenix 2026.
Blanka from “Street Fighter II” makes an appearance at Hell City Phoenix 2026.
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Benjamin Leatherman Hell City Tattoo Festival 2026: See the wildest photos www.phoenixnewtimes.com
Phoenix New Times 2026-08-17 21:30:04
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Benjamin Leatherman
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