Thousands descend on city for Brighton Tattoo Convention

The 14th annual Brighton Tattoo Convention opened its doors at the Brighton Centre on Saturday and Sunday to thousands of tattoo enthususiasts looking for a new design.

People received tattoos of all shapes and sizes (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Over 500 traders set up stalls across the four floors of the centre, as thousands visited the coastal venue to seek inspiration, make new connections, and even receive a fresh tattoo themselves.

A spokesman for the event said: "Starting back in 2007 at the Brighton Racecourse, the convention has grown year on year into a major event in the world tattoo calendar.

"Now taking place in the largest exhibition centre in the south, the Brighton Tattoo Convention welcomes world class tattooists, scores of traders, exhibitions and of course, thousands of visitors to the Brighton Centre on the sea front."

Dave Punter (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Among those visiting the event was groundworker Dave Punter, from Milton Keynes. He said: "I'm into tattoos, obviously, and this is one of the best shows I have been to. I've been going for the last six years.

"I can mix here, and not get stared at, like I would do if I walked into a pub near where I live. We're all one big family, here for the same reasons.

"It's great to be surrounded by people even more shocking than I look."

Dave said tattoos were like an "addiction" to him, after the 47-year-old got his first tattoo when he was 18 years old. Last year, he got his "self inflicted" tattooo above his right eyebrow at the convention, inspired by the line in The Prodigy's song Firestarter.

A man receives a West-Pier tattoo (Image: Mike Burnell)

Tattoo artists were on hand at their stalls in the main auditorium over the weekend to offer their latest designs to visitors at the conference.

Daniel Gulliver, owner of Top Boy Tattoo in George Street, Hove, had a stall in the centre. He said: "It's been super busy, which has been really good especially considering what we have recently had with the covid years. 

"We're lucky enough to have this on our doorstep every year, and now it's one of the biggest conventions in the whole of the country. We've had people come from Cambridge, Ashford, and all over."

Daniel Gulliver owns a tattoo shop in George Street (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Daniel has always wanted to be a tattoo artist, he said, and he dropped out of university in Bournemouth to take the art up full-time. 

He added: "I do make a point of asking where people come from, as it's so interesting to hear. The convention is a great excuse to come down and see Brighton.

"The motto for the city is Never Normal Brighton, and I feel the conference is an extension of that. It's a natural meeting place for all of the creatives."