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Angoulême announces “Le Grand Off”, free event replacing annual festival

By John Freeman on December 30, 2025 • ( 0 )

The French city of Angoulême, host of the beleaguered Angoulême International Comics Festival (now cancelled for 2026), has announced more details about its alternate free comics event running 29th January to 1st February 2026.

Titled “Le Grand Off de la bande dessinée” the event has been conceived and driven by the collective energy of those who create, publish, and distribute comics year-round.

Heir to the historic Off, a true institution that unfolds throughout the city each year, the Grand Off of Angoulême Comics Festival reinvents an independent, collective, and free celebration, open to everyone with the support of Angoulême’s businesses and cultural venues.

For four days, comics will take over Angoulême through exhibitions, meet-and-greets, signings, panel discussions, and concerts, as well as events dedicated to young audiences, for a joyful and culturally enriching experience. Le Grand Off de la bande dessinée aims to be a vibrant, emotionally rich, and inclusive celebration of renewal, showcasing the diversity of voices and imaginations.

The full programme isn’t yet on this new event’s official site, but you can view the programme of events, including award presentations, here on sceneario.com, in French.

Bleeding Cool reports that events including workshops, conferences, book signings, and more, will take place in Angoulême’s museums, bookshops. libraries, cinemas and theatres, with “mirror” events in other European cities, including Brussels.

Creators will receive equal pay and expenses covered, a shift from past Angoulême festival practices. Angoulême mayor Xavier Bonnefont is promising a big party every evening, in different locations around the city.

Other events include a major exhibition dedicated to Benjamin Rabier, the creator of Gédéon the duck and The Laughing Cow, to be held at the Vaisseau Moebius.

• For more details of this massive , free comics event head to legrandoff.com | Full programme here on scenario.com

• Follow Le Grand Off on Facebook

With thanks to Paul Gravett

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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.