Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d'Angoulême

The world temple of comic strips

The Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d'Angoulême (FIBD) has been the unmissable event for the 9th art since 1974. Imagined by Francis Groux, Jean Mardikian and Claude Moliterni, the festival was an immediate success with 10,000 visitors at its first edition, held in the disused wing of the Musée d'Angoulême. The inaugural poster was signed by Hugo Pratt. Since then, the festival has continued to grow to become the largest event dedicated to comic strips in the world, attracting over 200,000 visitors each year.

A rich and eclectic program

The FIBD offers a dense program spread over several days: themed exhibitions throughout the city, signing sessions with hundreds of authors, masterclasses, illustrated concerts, meetings and round tables. The festival also highlights international creation with a focus on different scenes of world comic strips. The festival spaces are spread across several emblematic locations in the city, notably the Espace Franquin, the Théâtre d'Angoulême and the Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l'image.

The Grand Prix and the Fauves

The Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême is the festival's highest honor, rewarding an author for their entire body of work. The Fauves, awarded by a professional jury, recognize the best works of the year in several categories. These awards have become major references in the world of comic strip publishing, offering international visibility to the winners.

Angoulême, capital of comic strips

The festival has contributed to making Angoulême the French capital of comic strips. The city is home to the Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l'image, an image hub with Magelis, and numerous murals that adorn the facades of the city center. The FIBD is supported by the City of Angoulême, the Department of Charente, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region and the Ministry of Culture.