Newbury Racecourse hosts two-day celebration of body art, strongmen and classic cars as tattoo convention returns

Cars, strongmen and lots of ink… that was the Newbury Tattoo Convention over the weekend.

Crowds flocked to Newbury Racecourse on Saturday and Sunday to enjoy two days celebrating body art in all its forms.

More than 120 artists set up pop-up salons over three floors of the venue, giving people the chance to meet artists, talk through potential designs and then see them brought to life.

Outside, people could enjoy a strongman contest on the Saturday, while on the Sunday classic cars were on display.

Live music, family entertainment, awards and craft sessions completed the line-up, while there guest visits from social media stars such as Dave Browne, who is a comedy writer and Instagram content creator known as @SmileyDaveUK.

The event was organised by Newbury-based tattoo artist Lee Priddy, who works at Full Power Studios in London Road.

The 29-year-old said it had been the most amazing weekend, and plans were now being made for next year’s event.

In a post on social media, he wrote: “Huge thanks to everyone who volunteered, tattooed, traded, and performed, and everything else at Newbury Tattoo Convention this year.

“We couldn’t have done it without you.”

There was praise from attendees too, with several saying it had been a “fantastic” event, and they were looking forward to attending again next year.