November 6 - 8, 2026 • Nashville Fairgrounds

Middle Tennessee Tattoo Expo

Artist Booth 

  • Standard Set-Up accommodating up to two artists

  • Saturday Morning Seminar with Squire Strahan

  • Pre-Show Party at Safe House Tattoo Studio

$900

An artist booth includes…

  • Artist Snack Lounge & free drip coffee

  • Out-of-State Licensing paid & coordinated by MTTE

  • One Helper Pass per booth

Apply Now
FAQ's

frequently asked questions

  • After your application is approved, a $300 deposit per booth is required to secure your spot. The remaining balance is due by July 1. A payment link will be included in your approval email, and we’ll send reminder emails/DMs as the deadline approaches.

  • No. Each booth is limited to two artists. Rotations are not permitted.

  • No. Apprentices may not tattoo at the show. Apprentices may apply only if they will be fully signed off by the time of the event. If they are not signed off by the event date, they will not be permitted to work the show and no refund will be issued.

  • Provided Supplies:

    • 3 lap cloths per artist

    • 1 unopened paper towel roll per artist

    • 2 bed sheets per artist

    • 2 pillow covers per artist

    • 1 sharps container per booth

    • 1 trash can per artist

    • 1 three-prong extension cord per artist

    • QR Code for Tattoo Release Forms & Aftercare Instructions

    Booth Dimensions: Each single booth is 10 x 10 with 8ft tall pipe & drape backing and 3ft tall pipe and drape walls to each side.

    Table Dimensions: One 8ft × 31in table with a floor-length fabric tablecloth (placed at the front of the booth) and One 6ft × 30in table with a fitted vinyl tablecloth (placed at the back of the booth).

    Chairs & Banner Hooks: Each single booth will have 4 chairs and we’ll have plenty of banner hooks at check-in.

  • Artists are added to the website and queued for social posts once deposit has been received & artist profile information has been submitted.

    If you post on your feed and tag @middletntattooexpo in your caption, we’ll happily repost it to share with our followers!

  • The only way to guarantee a booth location is to purchase a corner booth. We are open to requests and love putting friends next to each other though so feel free to reach out!

  • For those looking to stay within walking distance of Broadway, we’ll have a discounted room block at Holiday Inn & Suites Nashville Downtown. A booking link will be shared soon. If the rooms fill up, let us know and we’ll see about adding more.

    Another solid, reasonably priced hotel option near Broadway is Drift Hotel. As always, Airbnb is a great option. East Nashville is a popular area to check out.

  • We’ll be opening up Safe House Tattoo Studio on Thursday evening, November 5, to welcome you all to Nashville!

    4303 Gallatin Pike Ste 102

    Nashville, TN 37216

  • Artists and vendors may load in on November 5 from 4:00–7:00pm and on November 6 from 8:00–12pm.

    Health inspections begin at 1:00pm on November 6. All artists must be fully set up and present in their booths between 1:00–2:00pm.

    The show opens to the public at 2:00pm.

  • Yes! We’re incredibly excited to bring back the Body Suit Art Show. Cut-outs will begin shipping this summer, and we’ll notify everyone as soon as they’re ready to go out.

    We’ve also launched a dedicated Instagram to showcase these works of art, and we’ll be sharing all of the pieces from last year’s show over the coming months.

    Follow us @bodysuitartshow

  • Our goal is to keep what works and only make thoughtful, incremental improvements. Here’s some of what we heard in the post-show survey and what we’re adjusting for 2026:

    • Printer / Stencil Station: We’re switching to Apple computers with AirDrop and adding an additional Thermofax to improve speed and reliability.

    • Credentials: Wristbands are out! Lanyards only.

    • Booth Layout: We’re working toward more evenly spaced rows. Outer rows were slightly smaller than the middle rows, and we’re aiming to make the layout more consistent throughout the floor.

    • Food Options: We heard you! Some food trucks didn’t show up in 2025, and we’ll be securing and confirming vendors more carefully to avoid no-shows. Expect more (and more reliable) options.

    • Internet Access: Public Wi-Fi will be turned off so bandwidth can be preserved for artists and vendors who need it.

    • Artist Lounge: We’ll be adding more healthier snack options!

    • Awards: We’re refining both the award categories and the schedule… removing some and adding others.

  • Unfortunately, venue temperature is influenced by a mix of unpredictable Nashville weather, the demands of expo equipment, and the crowd size so we don’t have full control over it.

    In 2025, we experienced everything from a tornado watch to unexpected November heat - followed by a sudden cold snap. Airflow also varied throughout the space, with outer rows receiving less consistent heating and cooling, while some middle rows experienced stronger-than-expected air, leading to a wide range of temperature experiences.

    We recommend coming prepared for both warm and cool conditions, and crossing our fingers that we all land somewhere comfortably in between.