Get Familiar: Order Tattoo Jam

Order Tattoo Jam is back—and this year it’s levelling up in every direction. What started as a tight-knit gathering rooted in Amsterdam’s creative underground has grown into a global meeting point for tattoo culture, art, and music. For its latest edition, Order moves into its biggest venue yet, the iconic Kromhouthal in Amsterdam North, while reconnecting with its origins at Skatecafe for the after-hours program. With 200 artists flying in from across the world, a fully realised art market, large-scale installations, and a day-to-night format that stretches across the neighbourhood, the 2026 edition feels less like an event and more like a living ecosystem. We sat down with Order’s Etienne Memon to break down what’s new, what’s evolved, and why this year might be the most ambitious jam yet.

This year, you're bringing back the Order Tattoo Jam. Can you tell us about the new location and what people can expect-both during the day and at night?

Yeah, the location is completely new and actually the biggest we’ve had so far. It’s in Amsterdam North at the Kromhouthal—an old, beautiful industrial warehouse in a really accessible area. It’s close to a lot of our other spots, like my restaurant Sichuan Territory, Skatecafe, and other venues we work with, all in the same strip.

What’s also new is that for the first time, the daytime event and the afterparty won’t be in the same room. The day program happens at Kromhouthal, and then we move to Skatecafe for the night. That’s special because that’s where the jam originally started, so there’s a lot of history and good energy there. It also gives people options—you can come just for the day, just for the night, or go all-in for the full weekend.

That sounds like a big evolution. What can people expect from the actual event this year?

We’ve got around 200 tattoo artists coming in from all over the world—Japan, Korea, Australia, the US, and across Europe. About 80% of the artists are international. A new addition this year is that a lot of tattoo shops are coming as full crews, not just individual artists. So you’ll see full shop booths from places like New York, Italy, and more. We’re also pushing them to really go all out with their booth setups and make them visually special.

I also heard there’s a big market this year?

Yeah, that’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time—a proper art market. This year, we’re finally doing it with 65 stands. There’s an art book fair with people like Atheneum, Name Books, and more. Then there’s a tattoo-focused section with antiques, rare memorabilia, machine builders, and supplies—like Krautz Irons from Germany. We also have a whole cosmetica area where you can get your hair done, nails, grills, and tooth gems. Then there’s vintage clothing—Duke’s Cupboard, Cream, Second Culture—and records, toys, everything. It’s basically its own world inside the event.

What about installations and visuals?

We’re going big on decoration this year. There’s a Ferris wheel coming back inside the venue. We’ve got a balloon artist creating huge floating installations across the ceiling—like flying creatures throughout the space.

We also have an art crew from Lithuania decorating the market area. Plus, there’s a full exhibition happening all weekend at a new gallery space called Voorwaarts featuring nine tattoo artists who also work in fine art. That exhibition actually opens on Thursday, before the jam starts, so it’s a good moment for everyone to meet before the weekend kicks off.

And the night program?

Friday and Saturday nights are at Skatecafe, fully programmed. We’ve invited different crews to host stages. On Friday, Order hosts the main area, Tourist Trap runs D&D with live music and DJs, and Cinnaman hosts the 1900 room. On Saturday, we continue with Order in the main room, AK Soundsystem takes over D&D, and The Gang is Beautiful hosts 1900. Plus, we have our friends running music all day long at Kromhouthal too—around seven artists per day.
I think a lot of people are excited to be back at Skatecafe.

Can we talk about some of the new additions, like Sexyland?

Yeah, Sexyland is doing something really fun—they’re hosting a tattoo daycare. So if you have kids between the ages of 4 and 10, you can drop them off there. They’ll have mocktails, drawing stations, sticker tattoos, iPads—it’s fully set up to entertain them. Then parents can just enjoy the event without worrying.

That’s actually genius. What about the merch this year?

The whole identity this year is designed by Alexander Heir, also known as Death Traitors—one of my favourite artists. We’ve got a zip hoodie for the first time, a camo tee, two caps, and the lineup tee we always do. Everything is produced by Obey, who’ve been supporting us for years. We’ll also have older Order merch available, plus a Deadly Prey Gallery booth from Chicago, showing Ghanaian movie posters—both originals and prints. It sounds like a lot of moving parts, but everything feels aligned this year. It all really came together.

If people want to get involved—either this year or in the future—what’s the best way to reach you?

The best way is through social media or email. That’s where we handle everything, but the best thing to do is just to pull up!

If you’ve been watching from the sidelines, this is the year to step in. Whether you’re coming for the tattoos, the art, the music, or just the energy, Order Tattoo Jam isn’t something you fully understand until you’re inside it. Pull up for a few hours or commit to the full weekend—either way, show up. And if you can’t make it this time, tap in online, stay connected, and position yourself for the next one.