While many fans leave the Island with T-shirts from Bushy’s Brewery or souvenirs adorned with the iconic Three Legs of Man, others opt for something far more lasting—ink.
Each year, tattoo studios across the Isle of Man report a marked increase in bookings as bikers and spectators commemorate their time at the TT with custom tattoos. Popular designs include the outline of the Snaefell Mountain Course, tributes to favourite TT riders, and artwork that incorporates the year as a running tally of return visits.
“It’s always our busiest time of year,” said Phil Butterworth, tattoo artist at Manx Tattoo & Body Piercing in Douglas. “Some people come back every year and add a new date or element to their existing tattoo. For them, it’s a tradition.”
The TT festival, which draws thousands of racing fans from around the world, provides a major economic boost for local businesses—and tattoo shops are no exception.
As the TT fortnight comes to an end, the buzzing needles of Island tattooists may quiet down—for now. But with the next race already on the horizon, the countdown has begun for another season of speed, ink, and memories etched in skin.
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