There’s a weekend-long tattoo festival coming to the Royal Exhibition Building next weekend
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20.04.2022

There’s a weekend-long tattoo festival coming to the Royal Exhibition Building next weekend

Rites of Passage
words by sidonie bird de la coeur

Australia’s most prestigious tattoo event is coming to the Royal Exhibition Building at the end of April, featuring live tattooing, live music, heaps of inspo and way more.

Featuring some of the best tattoo artists and tattoo designers in Australia, Rites of Passage Tattoo Festival is a celebration of the diversity and intricacy of the tattoo industry and body art. The weekend-long festival presents a focus on creative talent, with over 250 Australian and international artists present and tattooing live.

This year sees the return of the Inkjecta Australian Tattoo Series – a tattoo competition that sees the artists competing for the acclaimed prize. Categories include The Q Award, which is presented to the Best Asian Art and named in honour of Quangsta, an incredible tattoo artist who passed away recently. Other categories include Best Neo Traditional, Best Freehand, Best Realism and a Tattoo of the Day award given out all three days of the festival.

What you need to know

  • Rites of Passage includes over 250 of Australia and the world’s best tattoo artists tattooing live
  • The festival includes live music and live art, including a live mural painted by prolific street artist Adnate
  • It takes place over the weekend of April 22 – 24
  • Tickets are limited, so grab yours online here.

Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.

Additionally – Adnate, a prolific street artist who specialises in large murals, will be painting a live mural at the entry of the Royal Exhibition Building all weekend long. An artist who strongly believes in giving back to the community, Adnate has been commissioned many times by the City of Melbourne with his work characterising and beautifying our streets.

In attendance will be the who’s who of body artists from around Australia and the world, including Troy Slack, Khail Aitken, Alessio Vanzan, Sou, Xia Tattoo, Jake Tattoos and more. You can check out the full list here.

Also present at the festival is Alessio Vanzan, presenting a seminar on his passion for freehand tattooing with other realism artists who wish to push their artistic boundaries further. With a focus on anatomical placement, how to improve your drawing techniques and building a grid for any tattoo style, this is a must for any artist.

Furthermore, retail vendors will be present with tons of tattoo gear, for anyone who practises tattooing able to purchase industry standard equipment. If you’re feeling peckish, there’s an exclusive food truck park featuring live music and plenty of delicious food to keep you fuelled all weekend.

Get your tickets for the festival here

In partnership with Rites of Passage.