The 2026 edition of the BD Comic Strip Festival in Brussels has been cancelled following significant budget cuts imposed on Visit.brussels, the tourism board of the Brussels-Capital Region, by the regional government. The decision was first reported by Le Soir and has been confirmed by the agency to Bruzz and Belga. Brussels Pride escapes the defunding.
According to Patrick Bontinck, CEO of Visit.brussels, the organisation will lose €5.7 million in funding in 2026, from a total subsidy budget of €22 million. “This forces us to cancel the BD Comic Strip Festival, scale back the Iris Festival and suspend the promotion of all other events, with the exception of Pride”, he said.
Further reductions are expected in the coming years. Vincent Tutino, member of the works council and head of human resources at Visit.brussels, stated that subsidies could fall to €8 million by 2029. He described the expectation that the agency should “reinvent itself” under these conditions as unrealistic, warning of negative consequences for tourism and the hospitality sector.
Brussels has been trying to position itself as the European capital of comic art, in competition with the city of Angoulême in France. The Iris Festival, the official celebration of the Brussels-Capital Region, is expected to be reduced to a single concert on Saturday evening, rather than its usual full programme.
The cuts have also led to the cancellation of the I Love Science festival, partly due to reduced funding for Innoviris. The event aims to promote science and raise awareness of career opportunities among young people, particularly primary and early secondary school pupils.
The most recent edition, held at Tour & Taxis, attracted more than 18,000 visitors. Around 60 institutions, associations and universities took part, offering workshops on subjects including technology, space, the environment and the arts. Attendance increased by 15% compared to the previous year, and the dedicated school day was fully booked.
An extraordinary works council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening. Tutino warned that “years of work and trusted relationships with numerous partners” have been lost “in a matter of days”. He added that additional events may also be affected by the ongoing budget cuts.
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