Ink enthusiasts flocked to the city from all over the world for another successful Manchester International Tattoo Show last weekend.
Manchester Central was packed from dawn till dusk by eager tattoo fans who witnessed some of the finest ink artwork from around the country, and further field – some came from as far away as America – especially for the event.
With the huge surge in body art interest the festival has gone from strength to strength and next year is expected to be even bigger.
Manchester tattoo artist Kurt Mitchell, owner of Loaded Forty Four, said: “I really enjoyed the weekend, it was really well run.
“The pieces I did were really detailed and took a while, but I really enjoyed working in an open environment with people watching me work. It was a great atmosphere.”
Alex Jones, 29, unemployed from Leeds, took a trip to the convention along with ink-lover friend Sam Grahams to view first-hand the artistic nature of the tattoos.
After discovering the true creativity of the body art Alex decided to jump in at the deep end and get inked-up.
Alex, a self-confessed ‘doubter’ of tattoos, was brought along by Sam who was determined to alter his negative opinion of body etchings.
From doubter to believer, Alex found a variety of designs that whetted his appetite and, after much deliberation, decided to get a small hawk on his shoulder.
Alex said: “I thought it would hurt more than it did, I was always put off by the pain.
“But it was well worth it, when you see how detailed the tattoos can be, it looks amazing!”
TATTS ALL FOLKS! Some of the designs at the show this weekend
Royal Navy serviceman James Ellison, 31, from Chorley, said: “It was amazing to see the different styles – some of the detailed coloured portraits were something else.”
James made the most of his weekend pass by going to peruse the stalls on Saturday and decided to bite the bullet on Sunday with a large detailed Victorian lady design down his side.
James said: “I took the kids down on the Saturday, and they got their faces painted.
“It was a really nice family atmosphere and no confrontation, which I thought might be a problem.
“It was also nice to see that the crowd wasn’t just your big bikers and servicemen, there were loads of mums and people from all walks of life.”
But even those who had no desire to ink-up there was plenty on offer with live tattooing taking place across the complex, hundreds of stalls selling jewellery, accessories and clothing.
If that wasn’t enough, visitors were treated to dazzling performances including a trapeze act, a circus show, an aerial silk routine and a comedian.
This is the eleventh year Manchester has hosted the show and its reputation has grown in stature attracting visitors from all round Manchester and beyond.
The Manchester Tattoo Show, now in its eleventh year, has gone from strength to strength and shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.
Pictures courtesy of Manchester International Tattoo Show via Facebook, with thanks
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