Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Angoulême, france

Groupe Morgane To Run Angoulême From 2027, Former Organisers Speak Out

Groupe Morgane chosen to run the Angoulême Comic Art Festival from 2027, as the former organisers of the cancelled show speak out

The Angoulême International Comics Festival (FIBD), long regarded as the world's premier event dedicated to comics and graphic novels, has undergone profound upheaval in recent months. The planned 53rd edition, scheduled for January 2026, was officially cancelled following a major crisis regarding the organisers after widespread boycotts by authors, publishers, and professionals. ADBDA, the Association pour le Développement de la Bande Dessinée à Angoulême, the public-private body steering the transition for the Angoulême International Comics Festival, had been tasked by local authorities with rebuilding the event and putting the task out to tender, with four on the shortlist.

Yesterday, they announced that Groupe Morgane, the bid that Bleeding Cool had judged most favourable, had been selected to run the future comics festival in Angoulême for the next five years, starting with the 2027 edition. They are the company behind the annual music festivals Francofolies de La Rochelle and Printemps de Bourges. And their bid was led by Marie Parisot (ex-Dargaud marketing director, and former CEO of Les Humanoïdes) and Céline Bagot (former 9e Art+ staffer and creator of the Pop Women Festival). I had previously stated they were the strongest candidate, "if ABDBA want to send a strong signal about past behaviour, the bid being women-led, with one of the women who left the previous show and started a female-focused comics event."

This choice followed a competitive call for projects to create a different kind of festival while preserving its international stature. ADBDA emphasised the need for renewed governance that better served authors, publishers, and the public. The decision marks a significant shift away from the previous organisational model. Historical events linked to the original FIBD association had expressed concerns about being sidelined and called for safeguards to protect the event's identity and continuity. But local authorities, including the city of Angoulême and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, have committed to supporting a "reborn" festival that regains its global influence while addressing past grievances. And emphasising "artistic direction, representation of the diversity of aesthetic styles in comics, awards organisation, an international scope, as well as offerings in arts and cultural education, including everyone." As well as recognising a "central role of creators, representing all their professions, and supporting young talent, professional" while also "demonstrating its financial capacity and ability to self-fund, as well as the ethical standards and social responsibility it will uphold." Indeed.

However, the former organisers of the show, involved in legal matters with the local government and the ABDBA, issued their own statement, describing the announcement as the ADBDA's attempt to recreate the show illegally, without the transparency demanded of the former organisers. And the judiciary had been seized by the local government to drive this through, citing the move of a legal hearing for their charges against the ABDBA for parasitism and unfair competition, from April to May, which they said would prevent them from running a show next year if they won their case.

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