Colorado Springs will host its first Villain Arts Tattoo Festival this weekend with 350 artists from all over the world.

The three-day tattoo show at Colorado Springs Event Center will include tattoo contests, live entertainment and special guests. While this is Villain Arts’ debut in the Springs, the touring festival is going on its 27th year.

“We kind of took what tattoo conventions were and tried to make them into more of a fun festival,” organizer Troy Timpel said. “We have a lot of entertainment. We have different TV stars from ‘Black Ink,’ from ‘Ink Master,’ and it’s just a lot going on all weekend.”

Festivities kick off Friday and run through Sunday, with shows featuring sword swallower Reggie Bügmüncher, Ringling Bros.’ star James Maltman and “America’s Got Talent” sideshow couple Captain and Maybelle. Late Friday and Saturday, the festival will host burlesque performer Verona Fink and live human suspension artists, where aerialists are suspended from piercings in their body, Timpel said.

“Live human suspension is a really interesting, very visually stunning performance,” Timpel said.

Tattoo contests are scheduled throughout the weekend, with nearly two-dozen categories such as best portrait, best traditional, most unusual and best lettering. At the end of each day, judges will award “Tattoo of the Day” for work done on that day only. On Sunday, judges will award “Best of Show.”

The festival will highlight several featured guests, including “Ink Master” competitors Dave Robinowitz, E-MAC, Al Fliction and Kito Talbert.

“You can get tattooed by fantastic artists from all over the country. You can get all different styles and artists that specialize in all these unique styles of tattooing, and we’re all in one room together to be able to fulfill your tattoo fantasies,” Timpel said.