Ink & Beer: tattoo sessions and craft beers at a château in Essonne

Since 2023, the Musée du Château de Dourdan, in Essonne, has been hosting INK & BEER, a festival of tattooing with a quirky edge! For its fourth edition, the event will take place on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 May 2026, blending urban culture, tattoo art and conviviality inside a historic monument. In addition to getting inked and enjoying the various activities on offer, visitors will be able to freely tour the medieval castle and the neo-Gothic house-museum.

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If access is free, you’ll still pay for your tattoo and piercing sessions! The neo-Gothic house-museum inside the fortress complex hosts tattoo artists and piercers including Underground Ink, Pink Spirit, Minh, Harley or Toxic Jungle, offering a range of styles to suit every taste (realism, neo-trad, nature, gothic, lettering, fine lines). Book your tattoo sessions and flashes via the artists’ Instagram accounts or at inkandbeerfestival@gmail.com.

Among the activities, the artist and content creator Ayami Michelle will showcase balloon sculptures and invites the public to colorful workshops. There will be breakdance demonstrations and battles with a DJ set in the castle courtyard, in partnership with the World Powermoves Series, an international dance competition, also featuring a tasting of beers and cocktails. A lively reading corner and retro gaming activities will be added, along with a fast-food offering and a crepe-food truck.

Dourdan Tourism organizes on this occasion some aperitif tours to discover the town and explore the intertwined history of beer and tattooing. Naturally, a reminder: you must be sober before getting tattooed, so don’t overdo the beer if you’re planning to go under the needle!

Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, please drink responsibly.