WHAT'S HAPPENING AT PTC 2025

We'll have a few bands on over the weekend. Please check here once they've been announced for set times.

Competitions:

The competitions will kick off at 6pm both days and will be judged by solid tattooers hand picked from Plymouth and the surrounding area.

The categories are:

Saturday:

Small blackwork

Small black and grey

Small colour

Healed

* All small categories must be smaller than a piece of a4 paper and be completed at the show.

The healed category can only be entered by artists working the show and must be at least 1 year healed, only one tattoo per artist can be entered.

Sunday:

Large blackwork

Large black and grey

Large colour

Best Banner/Booth

Best of show

* All categories apart from healed must be freshly tattooed and done at the convention over the weekend.

Best banner/booth will be decided in private over the course of the weekend so wont need to be judged on stage.

Prizes!

There will be trophies for 1st and 2nd place in all of the competitions. As well as a voucher from Magnum tattoo supplies for the first place winners. We're not quite ready to announce what the trophies are just yet but we're working on something really special for you.

Be sure to follow us on instagram and facebook for updates.

Exhibitions at PTC this year

A dedication to the life and works of Doc Price

An exhibit dedicated to the life and travels of our dear friend and incredibly influential tattoo artist, Doc Price. Doc (Darrell) Price is a renowned British tattoo artist with a career spanning over seven decades. He began tattooing at the age of 20 after purchasing his first tattoo machine for £7.10. In the 1960s, he settled in Plymouth, England, establishing his studio on Union Street, where he has worked for nearly 50 years alongside his son Bill. Throughout his extensive career, he has left his mark on thousands of clients the world over and has witnessed tattooing move from subculture to mainstream. Doc’s passion for tattooing was sparked at the age of 13 when he received his first tattoo—a ‘Mother’ inscription—from Billy Knight in Cardiff. His interest led him to travel the world, studying various tattooing traditions, including Japanese styles under master Caso Orgori. Feast your eyes on a collection of never before seen photos from his travels, given to us by Doc and Bill. Featuring artworks inspired by him, sent to us from tattooers and artists from all over the world. Doc and Bill will be at the convention with a collection of their 1970's flash for sale, you do not want to miss the chance to get your hands on these! If you would like to submit art to the exhibit then please send an email to: tim.plymouthtattooconvention@gmail.com with the subject DOC PRICE EXHIBIT

Brighton Tattoo Museum

Explore the rich history and cultural significance of tattooing with exhibition by Meraki Fade FX from the Brighton Tattoo Museum. Discover ancient traditions, global influences, and the artistry behind tattoo culture through a fascinating collection of artefacts and artwork dating back to the 1700s.

Meraki Fade is an internationally acclaimed tattoo artist and anthropologist based in Brighton, UK. She specializes in dotwork, mandala, and geometric tattooing, and operates out of her own studio.

Beyond her tattoo artistry, Meraki has dedicated over 14 years to studying and documenting traditional tattoo practices among remote tribal cultures. Her research has taken her to Borneo, West Sumatra, Easter Island (Rapa Nui), and Tahiti, where she has lived with indigenous communities to understand the cultural significance, symbolism, and history of their tattoo art. Notably, she is the only European tattoo artist trained in the ancient art of hand-tapped tattooing, a skill she acquired while living with the Iban head-hunter tribes in Sarawak, Borneo.

Meraki has documented her experiences through interviews, film, and photography, contributing to multiple UK tattoo magazines. She is also set to release a book titled “Ancient Tattoo Revival: A Global Journey into Contemporary Tribal Tattoo Culture,” which chronicles her global explorations into tattoo anthropology.

Come and see this incredible collection and maybe get tattooed by Meraki while she's in Plymouth.