Tattooing as a meeting point, but also as a gateway into a much broader universe. This is one of the characteristics that make Barcelona’s BAUM Tattoo Fest different from a simple tattoo convention. Organised by Mik Garreta and Laura Cubero, the festival brings together the world of tattooing with the many expressions of urban culture: from large murals to sculpture, as well as dance, BMX, customised cars and the Muay Thai ring.
This edition, however, took place during an especially challenging weekend for Barcelona. The weather emergency caused serious mobility problems across the city, making it difficult to get around and inevitably affecting attendance at the event. On Saturday night, moreover, due to the measures communicated by Barcelona City Council in response to the emergency situation, the convention had to close earlier than scheduled. A significant interruption that altered the programme for the day, but did not prevent the artists from continuing to work or the festival from maintaining its character.
“It has been a challenging edition, one we have faced with great effort and commitment from the entire team. Even so, the overall result of BAUM Fest 2026 has been outstanding. Once again, we have demonstrated the strength of an event that continues to grow, evolve and bring together a community united by its passion for tattooing and urban culture. The level of tattooing we have seen this year has been exceptional. BAUM Fest is a meeting point where art and creative energy come together, where artists from different backgrounds and with different styles share experiences, collaborate, inspire one another and push their work further. It is a showcase of the talent, creativity and artistic quality that Barcelona has to offer, and of how tattoo art continues to evolve and gain recognition in our city.
In 2027, october 8, 9 and 10, we will celebrate BAUM Fest’s 30th anniversary, a very special milestone that we look forward to marking by continuing to champion tattooing, art and urban culture, and to building a leading platform for the entire artistic community.”
Mik Garreta
Organiser of BAUM Fest – Barcelona Tattoo Expo
Because BAUM is, above all, a true festival of tattooing and urban culture in BCN, capable of speaking to a broad audience and creating a space in which tattooing is not an isolated element, but part of a much wider cultural scene. This cross-pollination between disciplines has also helped generate significant media attention around the festival: those who arrive attracted by one of the many different offerings can discover the world of tattooing, while those who are already part of this community encounter new languages and new forms of expression.
It is an intelligent way of reaching different audiences. Someone who enters the Plaça d’Espanya venue attracted by a dance performance, a street art piece, a BMX display or a customised car may come into contact with the work of tattoo artists for the first time and perhaps decide right there to start their own tattoo collection. At the same time, artists and tattooers have the opportunity to present their work to a new audience, take part in the competitions and showcase their own artistic research on stage.
At the centre, of course, remains tattooing and the mission that BAUM has been pursuing for years: bringing people closer to this art form from a perspective of greater knowledge and responsibility. The presence of professional tattoo artists, many of them coming from different regions of Spain, allows the public to discover a wide variety of styles and sensibilities, but also a clear idea of professionalism: a tattoo must be carried out correctly, with appropriate artistic preparation and in compliance with the relevant hygiene and health regulations and protocols.
This is also why the presence of walk-ins is important. The possibility of arriving at the convention and getting tattooed directly by one of the artists makes tattooing more accessible and turns the encounter with the public into a tangible experience. The stands thus become spaces for exchange and creativity, where ideas, projects and new tattoos are born.
That same energy is brought to the stage, where the competitions become a true showcase for the artists. The different categories highlight the variety of styles and techniques, culminating in Best of Sunday, which brings together some of the most outstanding work created during the festival and shows the public the full artistic dimension of tattooing.
Despite the difficulties of a weekend marked by bad weather, all the tattoo artists continued working, confirming the importance of their presence within the BAUM project. The convention therefore managed to maintain its goal: not simply to offer a space where people can get a tattoo, but to create a place where tattooing, art and urban culture can come together, bringing different people together in the same space.
A festival that speaks to tattoo enthusiasts, but also to those who are not yet part of the tattoo world and could become so precisely by crossing, almost by chance, one of the many doors into Barcelona’s urban culture.
