Lyon BD Festival
The Lyon International Comic Strip Festival — 21st edition on June 12, 13 and 14, 2026
About Lyon BD
The Lyon BD Festival is a major event for the 9th art in France. Created in 2005 and organized annually in Lyon by the association Lyon BD Organisation (LBDO), it brings together around a hundred authors and illustrators from all over the world for signings, exhibitions, meetings, conferences, masterclasses, screenings, shows, and workshops.
The heart of the festival is held at the Hôtel de Ville de Lyon (1st arrondissement), with programming extended to numerous cultural venues in the metropolis: Musée des Beaux-Arts, Comédie Odéon, partner bookstores, Collège Graphique (the association's headquarters). Admission is free for most activities.
Each year, the festival honors invited authors, unveils a new poster signed by a renowned artist, and builds international partnerships around a strong cultural theme.
An international comic strip festival in Lyon since 2005
Born in 2005 in the Croix-Rousse district at the initiative of a collective of enthusiasts, the Lyon BD Festival has become in two decades one of the major European events dedicated to comic strips and the 9th art. Organized by the association Lyon BD Organisation (LBDO), it gathers tens of thousands of festival-goers and approximately one hundred to three hundred authors from all over the world each year.
A multidisciplinary program
The festival offers a very broad program: signings with around a hundred authors, exhibitions, meetings and round tables, masterclasses, conferences, shows, film screenings, workshops for adults and children, drawn performances. The audience is family-friendly and all audiences are welcome, whether they are experienced readers or simply curious.
Emblematic venues in Lyon
The heart of the festival is held at the Hôtel de Ville de Lyon, which hosts the main signings and the festival bookstore, but the program also extends to other cultural venues in the city and the metropolis: Musée des Beaux-Arts, Comédie Odéon, partner bookstores, and the Collège Graphique (13 rue de Flesselles, Lyon 1er), the association's headquarters located since January 2023 in the former gymnasium of Collège Truffaut, a hub dedicated to Lyon comics all year round.
All of June is Comics in Lyon
Beyond the official festival weekend, the program extends throughout the month of June with workshops, shows, screenings, animations, meetings, and exhibitions organized throughout the Lyon metropolis, celebrating comic strips in all their forms.
Lyon BD — edition 2026
The 21st edition of the Lyon BD Festival takes place from Friday, June 12 to Sunday, June 14, 2026, at Lyon City Hall and in several cultural venues across the metropolitan area. For its 20th anniversary (the festival was created in 2005), this edition honors the Mediterranean, youth, and cinema, with Zep as guest of honor and a poster signed by Franco-Lebanese author Zeina Abirached.
A 21st Edition in the Colors of the Mediterranean
For its 20th anniversary (created in 2005), the Lyon BD Festival returns on June 12, 13, and 14, 2026 for three days of celebration around the 9th art. The 2026 edition highlights three strong themes: youth, cinema, and the Mediterranean.
Zep, Guest of Honor
The guest of honor for this 21st edition is Zep, the famous creator of Titeuf, on the occasion of the release of his next album with Éditions Rue de Sèvres. An exhibition is dedicated to him, as well as a major public meeting and signing sessions.
A Mediterranean Season
In partnership with the Centre des Études de la Bande Dessinée Arabe and the Institut français de Tunis, the festival invites three female authors from Lebanon, Tunisia, and Morocco: Zeina Abirached (Lebanon, author of the 2026 poster, with her exhibition « Il fallait un peu de rêve » at LPA Saint-Antoine), Nada Dagdoug (Tunisia), and Zainab Fasiki (Morocco). The festival is part of the Mediterranean Season supported by the Institut français.
A Hundred Authors for Signings
Around a hundred authors and illustrators are expected at the Hôtel de Ville for signings, including Christian Rossi and Guy Delisle. In total, nearly 300 artists participate in the program across all venues (meetings, exhibitions, screenings, workshops, shows).
The Lyon BD Youth Prize
New for 2026: the Lyon BD Youth Prize will for the first time reward a work chosen by young Lyonnais readers, from among five nominated titles. The winner will be announced on Saturday, June 13, 2026.
A Multidisciplinary Program
The program over the three days includes: signings, exhibitions, masterclasses, round tables, meetings, conferences, shows, drawn performances, film screenings, workshops for adults and children. Friday, June 12, is partly dedicated to industry professionals, with an opening concert. The weekend welcomes the general public.
And Throughout June in Lyon
Beyond the festival weekend, animations, exhibitions, workshops, and meetings take place throughout June in the Lyon metropolitan area, making June a major comic strip highlight in Lyon.
Programme Lyon BD 2026
Friday, June 12, 2026 — Professional Day and Opening
- Professional day dedicated to industry stakeholders (authors, publishers, booksellers)
- Opening concert in the evening
- Opening of the festival exhibitions
Saturday, June 13, 2026 — General Public
- Opening of signings at the Hôtel de Ville with around a hundred authors and illustrators
- Meetings, masterclasses, and round tables with guests
- Youth program: drawing workshops, drawn readings, shows
- Award ceremony for the Lyon BD Youth Prize (work chosen by young Lyonnais readers from five nominated titles)
- Exhibitions in several venues: Hôtel de Ville, Musée des Beaux-Arts, LPA Saint-Antoine (« Il fallait un peu de rêve » exhibition by Zeina Abirached), Comédie Odéon
- Major meeting with Zep, guest of honor
Sunday, June 14, 2026 — General Public
- Continuation of signings at the Hôtel de Ville
- Meetings, conferences, and drawn performances
- Youth program: workshops, shows
- Screenings of animated films and comic book adaptations
- Festival closing
Key Guests of the 21st Edition
- Zep — guest of honor, creator of Titeuf, exhibition and meeting
- Zeina Abirached — Franco-Lebanese author, official 2026 poster, « Il fallait un peu de rêve » exhibition (LPA Saint-Antoine)
- Nada Dagdoug — Tunisian author
- Zainab Fasiki — Moroccan author
- Christian Rossi
- Guy Delisle
- … and a hundred other authors for signings
The detailed day-by-day program (precise times for meetings, masterclasses, and shows) can be consulted on the official website: lyonbd.com.
Highlights Lyon BD 2026
- 21st edition of Lyon's international comic strip festival, celebrating its 20th anniversary (created in 2005)
- Zep, guest of honor — exhibition, meeting, signings
- Poster signed by Zeina Abirached (Lebanon) with her exhibition « Il fallait un peu de rêve »
- 2026 Themes: Mediterranean, youth, cinema
- Three invited female authors from the Mediterranean region: Zeina Abirached (Lebanon), Nada Dagdoug (Tunisia), Zainab Fasiki (Morocco)
- First edition of the Lyon BD Youth Prize — work chosen by young Lyonnais readers (awarded Saturday, June 13)
- Around a hundred authors for signings at the Hôtel de Ville, nearly 300 artists in total
- Free admission for most of the program
Prices Lyon BD 2026
Practical information — Lyon BD
Access
The Hôtel de Ville de Lyon is located at 1 place de la Comédie, in the 1st arrondissement (Lyon 1er). Metro access: Hôtel de Ville — Louis Pradel station (lines A and C). Several other festival venues are accessible on foot in the 1st arrondissement and the Presqu'île.
Prices
Festival admission and the vast majority of activities (signings, exhibitions, meetings) are free of charge. Certain specific activities (concerts, cinema screenings, some workshops and shows) may be subject to a fee or require reservation.
Audience
The festival is accessible to all audiences, with a dedicated youth program (drawing workshops, exhibitions, shows). The festival venues are accessible to people with reduced mobility.
Contact and information
Organization: Lyon BD Organisation (LBDO) — Collège Graphique, 13 rue de Flesselles, 69001 Lyon. Phone: 04 82 91 77 74. Email: [email protected]. Official website: lyonbd.com.
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Where does it take place — Lyon BD
Hôtel de Ville de Lyon
Place de la Comédie, 69001 Lyon