The New Zealand Tattoo and Art Festival is on this weekend. Daniel 'Stretch' Stretton of New Plymouth at the last New Zealand Tattoo and Art Festival. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
The organiser of the New Zealand Tattoo and Art Festival in New Plymouth this weekend still cannot quite believe it is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
As many as 7000 punters are expected through the doors of the TSB Stadium this weekend for what is now Australasia's largest tattoo festival.
More than 250 artists will be plying their trades, including some of tattooing's biggest names, such as Rose Hardy from the Netflix series Tattoo Redo and Dan Smith from LA Ink, who is returning to the festival once again.
Ex pat Dan Smith Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Event director Brent Taylor said he never imagined the event would last this long or get so large.
"No I had no idea. I did want to get into the stadium but I never dreamed of being like this big or and having this many international artists and it being the largest festival on this side of the world by a long way. It's pretty cool."
Taylor said it was a reward for a lot of hard work but would not have been possible without the support he had received.
Event organiser Brent Taylor Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
"The artists that backed the first one and had faith in it as well - a lot of it has run on from then, but it is cool to get this far.
"I never even thought I'd probably do one we'd just see how the first one went, so getting to 10 events is pretty cool."
Taylor said the punters and artists were raring to go after an enforced Covid-19 layoff.
"Everyone is hanging out for it. The artists can't wait to come back and some of them have been to every event, all 10 of them, and we've got them coming from all over the world, so it's cool to have them all back together."
Dunedin tattoo artist Aja Ann at work during the last New Zealand Tattoo and Art Festival. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
As well as the tattoo artists the event would also feature a music line-up, this year headlined on Saturday by drum and bass artists The Upbeats and EMWA, with Head Like a Hole playing the afternoon slot and freestyle motocross and BMX displays were also planned.
