The demon Oni dressed in a kabuto, surrounded by a long and large Hebi, this snake symbol of protection. A red sun in the background, sprinkled with some kanjis and an oriental calligraphy.
The poster for this 13th edition of the Besançon International Tattoo Show (BITS) looks like an Irezumi, these traditional Japanese tattoos. In the Land of the Rising Sun, tattooing still holds a special place.
Visitors to the Bisontine convention will, of course, be able to find this style at Micropolis on March 21 and 22, but not only that. “We always pay tribute through our posters. The Japanese style and the Polynesian style remain the two historical currents of tattooing, so it was the occasion. But there is never a theme on site because our meeting brings together professionals from very varied universes.”, explains Jean-Marc Bassand.
“Young people think differently today”
There will be 280 of them this year, coming from all over the world to present their style, “their art,” whispers the director of Millenium Events, who founded and still manages the event.
“There is an increasing enthusiasm in Eastern Europe and especially in Turkey. They are starting to be very interesting,” observes Jean-Marc Bassand, also the owner of La Main Noire in Besançon.
If the number of tattoo artists has exploded in two decades, the demand has changed and caused a upheaval within the profession. A situation that the organizer of the Besançon International Tattoo Show analyzes with perspective.
“With the change in European law, a large part of tattoos are black and gray and young people think differently. The very large majority of requests today concern ‘patches’, these small discreet tattoos with more or less symbolic value. They are done very quickly and it annoys historical tattoo artists, fans of large designs (laughs). But we have to adapt, otherwise it’s the end, as for several historical tattoo salons that have closed in recent years. Today’s small wave on an arm is tomorrow’s big tattoo because the client will be accustomed, confident, and will come back”, continues the organizer of the Besançon Tattoo Show.
A steady attendance in Besançon
Conventions are also affected by the evolution of practice and consumption. Similar events to Besançon’s are experiencing a decline in attendance, forcing organizers to adapt or even transform their concept. All? No.
The Bisontine convention, populated by die-hard tattoo enthusiasts, seems to resist this trend. If Millenium Events saw a 15% decrease in attendance in 2025, and another 18% this year for the Lille convention it co-organizes, BITS still fluctuates between 9,000 and 10,000 people.
“The only question I have concerns the holding of municipal elections on Sunday. Our audience is loyal and our Bisontine convention will always keep this same DNA: a festive and friendly organization where our visitors can discover hundreds of tattoo artists and creators, with multiple animations, concerts, and shows to liven up this weekend. We must remain connected to several alternative cultures in my opinion, as tattooing is one of them.”
A breakdance battle with the speaker of the Olympic Games of Paris
For this 2026 edition, the Besançon International Tattoo Show plans the return of the Bisontine collective Porte Avions and its spectacular breakdance show to liven up the weekend.
“Visitors loved their battle. In my adolescence, tattooing was associated with hard rock, punk, and underground rock. Today, it’s more about rap,” smiles Jean-Marc Bassand who, to animate this break session, managed to find a figure from the scene: the speaker Maleek, real name Malik Moujouil, designated to lead the Olympic battles at the Paris 2024 Games, will be on the mic in Besançon.
The MerQlab collective, an explosive DJ set on Saturday night
The big novelty in terms of festivities concerns Saturday night with an evening dedicated to electro, hosted by the Bisontine collective MerQlab. A DJ set “quite lively,” laughs Jean-Marc Bassand.
“They are turning all the events they attend upside down. Besançon is very attached to electro, more than anywhere else!” A way also to open up the event to a non-tattooed audience.
More information:
13th edition of the Besançon International Tattoo Show, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on March 21 and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on March 22. Day pass: €14. Weekend pass: €24. Student, PMR, and -18 years old pass: €7 per day. Free for children under 12 accompanied. Tickets available on besancon-tattoo-show.com or at the event entrance. Micropolis Exhibition Park, 3 Boulevard Ouest, 25000 Besançon.
The complete catalog of tattoo artists present at the Besançon International Tattoo Show can be found on their website besançon-tattoo-show.com.
