Brace yourselves. Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival returns to the historic Ohio State Reformatory in a few days.

The festival — slated for July 18 to 20 — officially starts Friday, but festival goers who plan to camp at the Richland County Fairgrounds are expected to arrive Thursday.

Here’s everything you need to know — whether you own a ticket or not.

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Traffic delays & closures

Beware of road closures and delays starting Friday.

Starting at 7 a.m., Olivesburg Road will close until 4 a.m. July 20.

There will also be temporary road closures and traffic lane changes to allow for attendees to get out of the parking lot along North Main Street, Fifth Avenue and U.S. Route 30.

Expect delays in the area, police have said, especially on the following roads:

State Route 13 between Harker Street and Harrington Memorial Road
State Route 545 between Wayne Street and Piper Road
East Longview Avenue between North Main Street and Olivesburg Road
U.S. 30 between U.S. Route 42 and North Trimble Road in both directions

“It is recommended that local motorists take an alternate route to avoid the expected traffic congestion in these areas over this weekend,” police have said.

Insider tip: use OHGO online and via mobile app for live traffic closures and delays.

The music

Inkcarceration will again feature three stages with three full days of music. The festival features 66 bands, several of which are coming together for reunions (The Dillinger Escape Plan, Acid Bath, Snot and some others).

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Headlining this year is Falling In Reverse (Friday), Slipknot (Saturday) and Five Finger Death Punch (Sunday).

Slipknot appeared at Ink in 2023. This year’s show, however, will be the nine-piece Iowa band’s only U.S. performance.

Other performers include Marilyn Manson, Three Days Grace, Lamb of God, Chiodos, Drowning Pool, Bilmuri and The Devil Wears Prada.

Around 10 bands are also slated for late-night performances at the Richland County Fairgrounds for all the campers.

Here’s a link to the full lineup. And this will take you to the daily schedule.

Pro tip: download the festival’s app to build your own schedule so you don’t miss a thing.

The food and drink

There are 27 vendors dishing up cuisine and beverages to festival goers — three hail from Richland County (Athena Gyro Express, Grunts Grub and Mad Meltz). Click here for a full list, and scroll down to “Food Vendors.”

The festival will also include a Slipknot pop-up whiskey bar, a Nutrl lounge and a tent featuring Monster Energy drinks and swag.

The ink

Tattoo artists will set up on the northwest sector of the event and inside the historic Ohio State Reformatory.

This year, tattoo artist Paul Booth — known as the “dark lord of ink” — headlines the festival’s body art portion.

There are 41 tattoo companies this year hailing from around the U.S., and people can book appointments directly through the artists for getting inked.

Did you know? The festival features a tattoo competition, featuring artists near and far that compete in various categories.

The setup

The festival’s layout will look a little different this year, with the two main stages facing south and the adjacent VIP area abutting up against the Yard Stage.

Russ "Whip" Rose

Whip Talks