A major comic book publisher believes the 2026 edition of the Angoulême festival “cannot be held again”, with organizers hoping to find a solution.

The festival’s organizing company was hit by various controversies that prompted comic book writers and publishers to want to boycott the 9th annual arts gathering.

Will the Angoulême (Charente) comic book festival take place in 2026? The major comic book publishers believe that the event, scheduled for the end of January but hit by the most serious crisis in its history, will not be able to take place due to the authors’ desire to boycott this issue, their union announced on Wednesday, November 19.

“Given the large-scale movements they understand, the publisher believes the 2026 edition can no longer be held,” stated in a press release from the National Publishing Union (SNE), which represents 24 heavyweights in the sector including Casterman, Glénat, Delcourt and Bayard. These major publishers also said they were hopeful “appeasement” For “build the festival of the future starting in 2027”.

Festival organizers hope to find a solution before reaching that goal. “This expresses the hope that the current discussions will be able to find a solution so that the 2026 edition can be held, in the interests of the comics ecosystem and to respect the audience that loves this unique form of reading, an audience that has always attracted its interest during the half century of its existence.”he explained in a press release.