Feb. 13, 2026, 6:04 a.m. ET
- Detroit’s Dirty Show, an international erotic art exhibition, is returning for its 26th year.
- The event features over 350 works from 200 artists, live performances, and fetish demonstrations.
- This year’s show includes a special exhibit of photos of Dita Von Teese by artist Chas Krider.
- Attendees must be 21 or older for the event, which runs on select dates from February 13-21.
Detroit’s famed Dirty Show, the city’s long‑running international erotic art exhibition, is set to return this weekend and the following weekend, once again transforming the Russell Industrial Center into an immersive celebration of boundary‑pushing creativity.
The annual event has grown from a renegade underground exhibition into a major cultural fixture, drawing artists and attendees from around the world. The Dirty Show 26 will run Feb. 13-21, offering multiple entry times beginning at 7 p.m.
The exhibition is known for blending gallery‑style art viewing with a vibrant nightlife atmosphere, pairing photography, painting, sculpture, installation and new media work with live burlesque, performance art, fetish demonstrations and music. Dirty is where provocative work and playful spectacle meet, offering an adults‑only environment intended to challenge taboos and inspire bold conversations.
Now in its 26th year, the show continues to thrive as North America’s largest and longest‑running erotic art exhibition, maintaining its creative, community‑driven roots even as it has expanded in scale. More than 350 works by over 200 artists are featured this year, along with more than 20 photos of modern pinup icon Dita Von Teese taken by this year’s special guest artist, Chas Krider. (Camilo Pardo was also recently announced as an additional special guest artist.)
Also among the numerous features at this year’s festivities are the return of leather bar The Daddyhole, an X-rated film festival, shibari demonstrations and a spanking booth, plus the new Demon Den, a miniature strip bar populated with … very small strippers.
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Dirty founder and organizer Jerry Vile emphasized that each evening offers a consistent visual exhibition, with the stage lineup varying between weekends and – best of all – amazing people-watching.
“I think this show is going to be just like a well-oiled machine with a bunch of really fun surprises,” Vile told the Free Press.
Attendees must be at least 21, and the event retains its signature no‑re‑entry policy as well as restrictions on outside food, large bags and photography equipment. Doors open at 7 p.m., with on‑site parking and a cash bar available.
With its mix of avant‑garde artwork, nightclub energy and Detroit‑rooted irreverence, the 2026 Dirty Show continues a tradition beloved by art enthusiasts, performers, and the “not easily offended” alike – promising another year of spectacle, artistry and uninhibited expression.
Tickets start at $50 and can be purchased at dirtydetroit.com.
