Shinedown, Godsmack and Breaking Benjamin To Headline Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival

Last year’s Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival drew a reported 75,000 fans. Credit: Nathan Zucker

Inkcarceration, the annual music and tattoo festival that takes place at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, will return for its sixth year next month and is expected to draw another enormous crowd. The event, which takes place on July 19, 20 and 21, will feature a slew of hard rock bands and more than 115 tattoo artists and haunted attractions.

Headliners Shinedown, Godsmack and Breaking Benjamin will perform as will acts such as the Offspring, Bad Omens, Halestorm, Parkway Drive, I Prevail, Chevelle, Dropkick Murphys, Sleeping With Sirens, Killswitch Engage, Hollywood Undead, Machinehead, Sevendust, the HU and many more. Inkcarceration also marks Chimaira’s first U.S. festival appearance in 14 years. The Cleveland hard rock act just recently reunited.

“We are currently in the studio working on new music,” says singer Brent Smith in a statement. “We will only be playing a select amount of live shows this year, but when the opportunity came to us to headline this year’s Inkcarceration, there was no hesitation whatsoever. We are so honored to be a part of this incredible show, and to share the stage with such extraordinary artists, and the GREATEST fans in the world. LET’S GO!!!!!!!!!!”

“Inkcarceration was built on the foundation of community and passion.” says Dan Janssen, co-founder and GM of Inkcarceration, “We wanted to create a home for those who love all things rock, metal and body art, and as we head into our sixth year celebrating three consecutive sold-out events, we’ve accomplished just that. We are expecting another sell-out year.”

During the festival, attendees have the opportunity to get inked at the festival’s onsite tattoo convention hosted inside the prison made famous by The Shawshank Redemption. In addition, fans can take self-guided tours of the historic and Ohio State Reformatory for free, and this is the only time outside the Halloween season that the Blood Prison haunted house is open. Blood Prison is available to pass holders for an additional fee.

Attendance at last year’s was reportedly 75,000 over three days, and it’s estimated that upwards of $10 million was invested back into the local economy of Ohio’s Richland County. More than 40 percent of festival-goers reportedly came from outside the state of Ohio.

Subscribe to Cleveland Scene newsletters.