Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Angoulême, france

Angoulême Comic Art Festival In France, Officially "On Hold" For 2026

Published Thu, 27 Nov 2025 10:27:04 -0600

Last updated Thu, 27 Nov 2025 10:38:24 -0600

Article Summary

Angoulême International Comic Art Festival 2026 preparations put on hold amid growing boycott and controversy
Artists, publishers, and funders allege mismanagement, lack of transparency, and mishandling of abuse accusations
Calls for major reform after mass feminist boycott and withdrawal of public funding threaten festival’s future
French Culture Minister and local leaders offer last-minute efforts while insiders hint at potential overhaul

In a dramatic escalation of ongoing controversies, the organisers of the Angoulême International Comic Art Festival announced today that preparations for the 2026 show have been "put on hold." The decision, revealed in an internal email to partners, comes just two months before the show was to have launched, and follows a cascade of boycotts from artists, publishers, and public funders who have decried the festival's management as opaque and exploitative, as well as allegations of sexual abuse.

Three Days In Angoulême — Angoulême Food Hall.- Chris Geary

National French newspaper Le Monde and local paper La Charante Libre both report that the email was sent by Noémie de La Soujeole, the commercial director of 9e Art+, the private company that has run the festival since 2007 and stated: "We inform you that the production of the 2026 Angoulême Festival edition is, as of today, put on hold. We will get back to you very soon with more details. Thank you for your understanding." While 9e Art+ insists that no formal cancellation has been issued, the move signals a potential collapse for the 53rd outing of the third-largest comic art festival in the world, and possibly the most important. which draws over 200,000 visitors annually to the Charente city, as well as an international comic book industry, generating millions for the local economy, and launching hundreds of comic book projects and collaborations.

From London To Angouleme, The Biggest Comics Festival In The West — Angouleme from Chris Geary

The halt follows months of turmoil ignited by accusations of financial opacity, aggressive management practices, and inadequate handling of sexual violence allegations. In a landmark "girlcott", a feminist boycott, nearly 300 women creators, including 2025 Grand Prix winner Anouk Ricard, penned an open letter in Elle magazine calling for a "radical transformation" of the festival's structure to promote diversity and accountability and to deal with sexual abuse allegations.

Major publishing unions withdrew support in mid-November, declaring the 2026 edition "compromised" due to shattered trust with organisers. On the 20th of November, public funders, including the city of Angoulême, the Charente department, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, and the state, which cover half of the festival's six million euro budget, issued a joint plea for 9e Art+ to "draw the necessary conclusions" and cancel the event outright, calling its continuation "more than complicated."

Twenty past Grand Prix laureates, including luminaries like Posy Simmonds and Patrick Juillard, joined the chorus demanding the ousting of 9e Art+ and its general delegate, Franck Bondoux, who had planned to step down by 2028 but whose firm remains contracted to run the show in 2027. Alternative publishers' unions labelled the 9e Art+ brand "radioactive," while industry insiders, such as publisher Jean-Luc Fromental, lamented that creators' "justified mistrust" had not been addressed despite recent concessions.

Culture Minister Rachida Dati attempted a last-minute intervention on the 23rd of November, offering to reinstate a €200,000 exceptional subsidy if "conditions are met", emphasising her desire for the event to proceed. However, sceptics like author Lisa Mandel dismissed the overtures, insisting, "It's clear: no to 2026."

Bleeding Cool still hears whispers of a "Plan B", perhaps a scaled-down event or full governance overhaul, circulating among government officials. Critics, however, see this as a pivotal reckoning for the industry. Wth murals adorning nearly every wall, local businesses are bracing for losses. Booseller Anaïs Combeau, while supporting the boycott, acknowledged the pain: "We're ready to weather 2026 in a makeshift way to build something healthy." Mayor Xavier Bonnefont echoed the sentiment, noting, "It's the authors and publishers who make the festival."