More than 63,000 comic strip fans attended the BD Comic Strip Festival at the weekend to immerse themselves in the exciting world of comics and meet their favourite heroes (an increase of 0.6% compared to 2024).
They took part in meetings, activities, signings and exhibitions. It was also a wonderful opportunity to discover and get their hands on copies of the comic strips that won the Atomium Awards.
And that’s not all! One lucky resident of Watermael-Boitsfort, Julian, won his own body weight — 63 kilos — in comics. Once again, the capital of the ninth art lived up to its reputation. From 26 to 28 September, the ninth art took centre stage at Tour & Taxis’ Gare Maritime at the BD Comic Strip Festival.
This year’s programme included entertainment, book signings, meetings, exhibitions and giant balloons. With 63 exhibition stands, almost 150 authors and illustrators, over 200 book signings, around fifteen conferences and six exhibitions, the festival was a treat for comic strip fans.
A host of activities organised by publishers awaited the public at the Gare Maritime. The most curious visitors had the opportunity to explore new horizons thanks to the presence of foreign cultural representatives who set up shop in the International Pavilion.
Also worth noting was the success of the Dutch-language offering, which took some publishers by surprise — they were positively impressed by the enthusiasm of the audience and the strong sales achieved. Younger visitors marvelled at the giant balloons scattered around the festival site.
They took part in exciting workshops and games, immersing themselves in the worlds of their favourite heroes.
Many visitors also had the chance to chat with the authors during exclusive encounters and have their comics signed at the many signing sessions organised by publishers throughout the weekend.
Visitors were treated to an exclusive preview of the ‘Nature’ by Wauter Mannaert exhibition, which will set up shop in the Comics Art Museum from 4 October 2025. The Abracada’Brume exhibition presented the world of Brume, a young heroine who lives in a timeless world.
To mark its 50th anniversary, Fluide Glacial magazine exhibited its most controversial covers! The public also immersed themselves in the world of La Guerre des Lulus.
The works of graduates from the ESA Saint-Luc school in Brussels and the LUCA School of Arts in Brussels and Ghent were also put in the spotlight. It was a fantastic way to showcase their work to the public and to publishers looking for new talent.
