Cult of Paint's Miniature Painting Open brings Bristol 2026 weekend event

Cult of Paint is turning the Miniature Painting Open into a full-scale Bristol weekend, and the 2026 edition is being built to feel like a destination rather than a quick stop. MPO Bristol 2026 will take place at Bristol Beacon on May 16 and 17, with the organisers promising a curated vendor line-up, a judges and Cult display area, exclusive Cult merch, and a full schedule of hobby forums and seminars.

That setup matters because the event is ticket-only and covers the full weekend, so it is clearly aimed at painters and spectators who want to stay, browse, learn, and judge the scene in one place. In-person entries must be made by attendees who are physically present, with no option to ship miniatures, which keeps the event grounded in live community participation rather than mail-in logistics.

The 2026 categories show how broad the Open has become. Entries will be split across Beginners, Painting, Dioramas and Storytelling, Vehicles, Mechs and Military, and Exhibition Only, with judging levels set at Beginner, Standard, Master, and Exhibition Only. MPO’s open-format award system also gives judges room to award as many medals at each level as they deem necessary, a model that fits the event’s emphasis on craftsmanship, creativity, and storytelling across different scales and genres.

That approach is a big part of why MPO has grown so quickly. Cult of Paint says the competition began as an online contest in 2021 and eventually drew more than 2,000 entries. It then moved into live event territory with MPO Bristol 2024, the first in-person show, which sold out with more than 400 entries submitted and brought attendees from as far away as Australia. Andy Wardle, Richard Gray, and Albert Moreto Font handled the judging that year.

The Bristol move has continued to track that demand. Cult of Paint says Bristol 2025 shifted to Bristol Beacon to make room for more entries, more guests, and more interaction, and the 2026 show will return there. The venue’s Beacon Hall gives the weekend real scale, with capacity for 1,866 seated or 2,124 standing, and Bristol Beacon’s central location puts transport, hotels, restaurants, and parking within easy reach.

Cult of Paint also frames MPO as a meet as much as a competition, and that language explains the whole direction of the event. The judging is about medals, but the weekend is being designed around shared tables, shared work, and shared standards. With the Open now folding competition, retail, tuition, and community into one Bristol date, MPO 2026 looks like another step toward the kind of in-person weekend that can anchor the international miniature painting calendar.