Cumbria’s one and only tattoo show is set to return for its 17th year.
North Lakes Tattoo Show will take place on Friday, March 28, Saturday, March 29, and Sunday, March 30, at Carlisle’s Crown and Mitre Hotel.
It will see over 55 artists from across the UK descend on the city for a weekend of tattooing.
A total of 12 local traders offering food, things to buy and more will also attend alongside two tattoo historians.
The well-established show has been running since 2008 and is organised and run by veteran tattooist Colin Fell and fellow artist Mike Haslom, who own’s Mike’s Tattoo’s in the city.
Colin said: “We’re all absolutely excited and bursting for the show, we can’t wait for next Friday to open the doors to the public.
“Prep is going really well for this year’s event, we’ve got a new venue this year, so we’re a bit twitchy, but it’s the best big venue we’ve ever had.
“Ticket sales are actually up on previous years, so we’re hoping it will be really busy.”
The show normally draws in thousands of visitors from across the country each year.
It is a family run event that takes both Colin and Mike’s family a year to plan.
Megan Fell, Colin’s tattooist daughter, also regularly attends and works the event.
He added: “We have artists coming from as far down as Essex as we’ve really concentrated on getting the UK’s cream of the crop.
“But it’s just a big family, it’s a real close-knit unit that we’ve set up.
“We know a lot of the artists personally and the people who work with us in the shop and Mike, and the customers that help us out are all friends too.
“But all the people that help us out, they’re like unsung heroes as without them we couldn’t do the show.”
Tattoo artists specialising in a wide variety of styles will appear at the event – which is open to all, both tattooed and not tattooed.
Artists will be open to walk-ins all weekend, so attendees will be able to get tattooed on the day if they choose to.
Children will also be able to join in and get temporary tattoos.
Awards in several categories including best tattoo will also be given out to artists over the course of the weekend.
Colin said: “Downstairs we have a bar, they’ll be food, traders, and we’ve got two tattoo historians coming who are going to little bits and pieces for us.
“One of them is called Rambo he’s got a tattoo museum in Manchester and he’s just wrote a book on Cash Cooper, a big tattooist, so he’ll be promoting his book there.
“Another lad Terry Tattoo he actually does all the memorabilia up and down the country and I’m going to try and get them to do a little talk on Saturday afternoon.
“We do try to keep it all local with our traders so everyone benefits from the show as much as they can.”
Colin said it’s also not an event where you have to have tattoos to attend.
He added: “We get a lot of people who come and haven’t got any tattoos.
“They come for the experience, and they always have a great time.
“We want to make it an entertaining weekend for everyone who comes.
“But as it gets closer to it I just can’t sleep, I get so excited.
“It’s been my life for the last 40 years, I just love it.”
Tickets for the show can be bought online, on the door, or in-shop at Mike’s Tattoo’s in Carlisle.
