The Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d'Angoulême 2025 (FIBD), one of the most prominent global events in the world of comics, will take place from 30 January to 2 February, with a dedicated professional day on 29 January. This year's edition will feature Barcelona as the guest city in the UNESCO Pavilion, providing a unique opportunity to showcase the work of authors from the Catalan capital to a highly specialised audience.

The Institut Ramon Llull has actively participated in the Festival since 2023, maintaining a busy schedule of meetings with international publishing agents to promote the work of Catalan authors. This has resulted in a significant increase in the international visibility of these creators.

This year, its presence is further strengthened through a joint stand for Catalan professionals, spearheaded by the ICEC under the Catalan Arts! Books label. The stand will also feature representatives from Ficomic (the organisers of Comic Barcelona and Manga Barcelona each year) and the Gremi d’Editors de Catalunya.

To mark the occasion of the Festival, the IRL has published a catalogue featuring a selection of 20 works illustrated by Catalan and Balearic creators, all released over the past year. This catalogue aims to introduce these artists to international professionals.

Thanks to the work carried out in previous editions, there has been a significant increase in applications for grants to publish illustrated works abroad and to promote them. For example, in 2024, a total of 184 grants were awarded for international projects, representing a 36.3% increase compared to 2023.

Barcelona, Guest City
The IRL has also contributed to the programming for Barcelona as the guest city at the Festival. This includes discussions on the influence of comics in the city, creative workshops for all ages, and even a live drawing competition between Catalan and Québécois artists. Authors Jordi Lafebre, Sandra Cardona, Nadia Hafid, Marc Torices, Pep Brocal, and Sara Soler will be present in Angoulême to share their experiences through conferences and interactive activities.

The selection of these artists was a collaborative effort by ICUB, the Barcelona Library Consortium, FICOMIC, and the Institut Ramon Llull. Given the breadth and importance of Barcelona’s comic scene, which cannot be fully represented by just half a dozen names, priority was given to authors with recently published works in France by leading Franco-Belgian publishers. This approach aims to showcase the high quality of comics created in Barcelona and across Catalonia.

Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d’Angoulême
The FIBD, founded half a century ago (on 25 January 1974), has grown to attract around 200,000 visitors per edition in recent years. It offers an extensive programme of activities, including new releases, exhibitions, book signings, and various other events. Full details of the planned programming can be found on their official website.