9e Art+, organizers of the beleaguered Angoulême festival, have officially announced that production on the 2026 event is on hold indefinitely. The news was announced this afternoon (French local time) in an email circulated to publishers. While not an official cancellation, it is a further sign that the event, scheduled for January 29 to February 1, 2026, will not take place.
In an email shared with most French media outlets, 9e Art+ Sales Director Noémie de La Soujeole said (translated by DeepL):
“Hello, we would like to inform you that production for the 2026 edition of Angoulême Festival has been suspended until further notice. We will contact you with further details shortly. Thank you for your understanding.”
Almost exactly one week has passed since the press conference held on November 20th by public funding partners comprising local, national, local and ministries. Their representatives were led by Angoulême Mayor Xavier Bonnefont, who recommended that the show be canceled, saying that funding for the 2026 edition would be stopped. Public organizations provide almost half of the program budget. On November 19th, 9e Art+ sent out a press release stating that the show will be held as scheduled and that active discussions are underway with interested parties. Even if such discussions exist, they are clearly not working.
So far, there has been no news from 9e Art+ owner Frank Bondu, who has remained largely silent as the situation worsens, and the same can be said about Delphine Gloux, president of festival owners association FIBD.
This is the latest development in the ongoing crisis involving one of the world’s largest comics-only events. Tensions have been brewing behind the scenes for more than a decade, but they exploded after controversial organizer 9e Art+ sparked a controversy in January when Humanite magazine reported on employee burnout, financial fraud, over-commercialization and the firing of an employee who reported her own rape at the 2024 edition of the show. Things flared up again on November 8, after the process to choose a replacement show host was heavily criticized and 9e Art+ was set to remain in place until 2036. A massive author boycott and publisher withdrawal has left the 2026 edition almost completely canceled by observers, leaving the festival’s entire future in doubt.
Elise supporters in front of the Angoulême courthouse — Screenshot of Charente-Livre TV footage
Also today, former employee Elise Boucher Tran, who waived her anonymity last Friday, finally faces trial in the Court of Justice on charges of rape in 2024. The case is currently ongoing, and Elise also has a court date in front of the employment tribunal, alleging that she was fired after reporting the incident by her then-employer Frank Bondu of 9e Art+. She was greeted outside the Angoulême court by a crowd of 50 supporters, many holding placards that read “Elise on te Croix” (“Elise, we believe in you”).
A member of the support group told Charente Libre:
“This is not the first time there have been incidents of violence and sexual harassment at the Angoulême Festival.”
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