The Lakes International Comic Art Festival returns to Kendal from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October 2026, bringing international comic creators, live drawing, interviews, workshops, exhibitions, book launches and a Comics Marketplace back to the town where the festival began in 2013.
Brewery Arts Centre will form the main festival hub, with events and exhibitions also planned at Kendal Town Hall, Cross Lane Projects Gallery and other venues and businesses around Kendal.
This guide was checked against the official LICAF programme, guest list and ticket pages, plus current Brewery Arts and Kendal visitor information, on 6 August 2026. The organiser says the full list will contain around 40 events across Saturday and Sunday, but that programme was still being added when this article was prepared.
Programme still developing
Several workshops, the Friday opening event and a large guest list are confirmed, but the complete panel, film, signing and venue schedule is still to come. Check every booking again before travelling.
LICAF 2026 at a glance
- Dates: Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October 2026
- Location: Multiple venues around Kendal town centre
- Main hub: Brewery Arts Centre, 122A Highgate, Kendal, LA9 4HE
- Festival Hub hours: Friday 10am to 7pm, Saturday 9am to 6pm and Sunday 9am to 4pm
- Opening night: Asterix vs. Tintin - The Rematch, Friday at 8pm
- Main programme: Around 40 Saturday and Sunday events, with the complete list still to come
- Passes: Weekend, Saturday and Sunday passes are on sale
- Separate tickets: Opening night and specialist creator-led workshops
See the standalone LICAF 2026 event listing, the Cumbria Guru Kendal guide and our listing for Brewery Arts Centre.
Why is LICAF returning to Kendal?
The festival began in Kendal in 2013 and developed an international reputation for celebrating comic art in all its forms. Its 2026 return places the main hub at Brewery Arts and spreads other activity through the town centre.
The format should make the festival feel closely connected to Kendal's streets, galleries, hospitality businesses and independent shops rather than operating as a single enclosed convention.
What does a festival pass include?
The official ticket pages currently list a Weekend Pass, Saturday Pass and Sunday Pass. A pass provides access to eligible premium events, festival exhibitions and priority access to signing sessions.
However, a pass is not an unlimited ticket for everything. The organiser states that:
- The Friday opening-night event is sold separately
- Specialist creator-led workshops require separate tickets
- Individual events may have their own capacity and age guidance
- Full venue and timetable information is still being released
Pass holders collect their festival wristband and programme from the Festival Hub in the foyer of Brewery Arts Centre.
View the official LICAF pass and event ticket list.
What are the 2026 pass prices?
The pass products were live on TryBooking when this guide was checked, but a reliable current price was not displayed on the publicly indexed landing pages available to us. Rather than repeat an old price or guess, Cumbria Guru recommends checking the final amount and any booking fee directly on the official booking screen.
Festival Hub opening hours
DayFestival Hub hours Friday 2 October10am to 7pm Saturday 3 October9am to 6pm Sunday 4 October9am to 4pmThese are the published hours for wristband and programme collection at Brewery Arts. They are not the operating hours of every festival event. For example, Friday's opening-night event begins at 8pm, after the hub's advertised closing time.
Friday opening night: Asterix vs. Tintin
Asterix vs. Tintin - The Rematch takes place in the Main Theatre at Brewery Arts Centre from 8pm to 9.30pm on Friday 2 October.
The live-draw event revisits a LICAF debate first staged in 2016. Two teams of comic creators will argue for Asterix or Tintin, while artists bring the battle to life and the audience votes. Keli Lark is confirmed as MC.
This event is not included in festival passes and requires a separate ticket.
Check opening-night ticket availability.
Saturday workshops announced so far
Printed Cinema Comics with Mike Derderian
10am to 11.30am, age 12+. Jordanian comic artist Mike V Derderian, also known as Sardine, explores links between comic panels and cinema before guiding participants through writing and drawing a strip. No previous experience is required.
Create Your Own Manga Characters with Sonia Leong
12pm to 1.30pm, recommended for ages 9 to 12. The workshop covers faces, eyes, hair, poses and body proportions in a manga and anime-inspired style.
Sketching Your Surroundings with Leonie Bischoff
2pm to 3.30pm, age 15+. This guided sketching workshop explores ways to document the environment and develop observational drawing skills.
Poetry Comics Workshop with Chrissy Williams
4pm to 5.30pm, ideal from age 7+. Participants combine poetry and sequential art, with materials provided.
Sunday workshops announced so far
Create a Creature with Felt Mistress
10am to 12.30pm, suitable for adults and children aged 8+. Louise Evans, known as Felt Mistress, guides participants through sewing their own felt creation. No previous sewing experience is required and materials are supplied.
Build Your Own Beast
1.30pm to 3pm, all ages and abilities. Daniel Locke and David Blandy lead a character-design workshop influenced by tabletop role-playing games, drawing and creative writing.
Workshop places are separate from festival passes and may be limited. Use the official What's On page for booking links and venue updates.
Guests confirmed for LICAF 2026
The official guest page already contains a large international line-up. Highlights include:
- Bill Morrison
- Bill Sienkiewicz
- Charlie Adlard
- Colleen Doran
- Frank Quitely
- Gemma Correll
- ILYA
- Marcos Martín
- Michael Lark
- Sean Phillips
- Sonia Leong
- The VIZ team
Also listed are creators from Belgium, Jordan, Palestine, Iceland and elsewhere, reflecting the festival's international focus. Guest appearances can change, so avoid travelling for one creator without checking the latest list.
See the current official LICAF guest list.
Comics Marketplace and exhibitions
The Comics Marketplace will bring independent creators and publishers together in a new Kendal town-centre location. The exact venue was still described as forthcoming on the pass pages when checked.
The broader programme is also expected to include live draws, films, presentations, guided tours, interviews, signings, book launches, children's activities and an International Comics Rights Market.
Landscapes of Contemporary Belgian Comics
This confirmed touring exhibition explores the range of present-day Belgian comics, including adventure, autobiography, younger-reader work and projects addressing social, political and environmental themes.
It was developed by the Comic Art Museum in Brussels and produced by Wallonia-Brussels International. The final Kendal venue and opening arrangements should be checked once the complete programme is released.
Is LICAF suitable for children?
Parts of the programme are explicitly aimed at children and families, including manga, poetry-comics and creature-making workshops. Other talks, films or evening events may carry different guidance.
Check the stated age recommendation for every booked session. Workshops with younger participants may also require an accompanying adult, depending on the final ticket terms.
Main venue: Brewery Arts Centre
Brewery Arts is at 122A Highgate, Kendal, LA9 4HE. The Festival Hub will be in its foyer, and the Friday opening event is in the Main Theatre.
The building contains several different spaces and has developed in stages. Brewery Arts asks visitors who require step-free theatre seats, wheelchair spaces, respite seating or a familiarisation visit to contact its Box Office team in advance.
The Main Theatre has dedicated wheelchair bays. Accessibility at Kendal Town Hall, Cross Lane Projects Gallery and other festival locations must be checked separately.
Getting to Kendal by train
Kendal railway station serves local trains towards Oxenholme Lake District, Staveley and Windermere. Oxenholme is the nearest West Coast Main Line station, with onward local rail connections into Kendal.
Travelling by rail removes the need to move a car between town-centre venues. Check the final evening train before booking late events, especially the Friday opening night.
Parking in Kendal
Brewery Arts has a small paid car park with accessible spaces, but it is unlikely to absorb festival-wide demand. Kendal has several council-run short and long-stay car parks within walking distance of the town centre.
Check opening and locking times carefully. Some multi-storey levels close in the evening, which may make them unsuitable for late events. The council's live car-park directory is the safest place to check current restrictions and prices.
Check current Kendal car parks and restrictions.
Walking between venues
LICAF is a town-wide event, so build travel time into the day. Highgate, Kendal Town Hall and central shops are reasonably close, but a tightly packed timetable can still become unrealistic once queues, signings and meals are added.
Choose priority sessions first, then fill gaps with exhibitions, the Marketplace and Kendal's cafés and shops.
Food, drink and evening venues
The festival's Kendal visitor page highlights the town's cafés, bars and restaurants and names Ruskins Bar, The Everywhere Bar and the Ring O'Bells as festival partners for evening socialising.
These partnerships may develop further before October. Book tables for larger groups and leave enough time to eat without missing the next event.
Where to stay for LICAF
A weekend pass is most useful for visitors staying for at least Saturday night, while the Friday opening event makes a two-night or three-night Kendal stay attractive.
Explore places to stay in Kendal and the wider Cumbria Guru Kendal guide.
Search Sykes holiday cottages in and around Kendal. Cumbria Guru may earn a commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you.
Staveley and Windermere may also work for visitors travelling by train, but check the late-evening return timetable before booking outside Kendal.
What to bring
- Digital or printed tickets for passes and separate workshops
- A charged phone and portable battery
- A waterproof coat for walks between venues
- A sketchbook for signings, drawing sessions or inspiration
- A realistic timetable with meal and walking breaks
- Protective sleeves or a rigid folder for purchased artwork and comics
Details still to come
The official What's On page says the complete programme will contain around 40 events over Saturday and Sunday. More panels, interviews, films, venue details, Marketplace information and booking links therefore remain to be announced.
Cumbria Guru will update this guide as the full programme develops. For final planning, use the official LICAF event and ticket pages rather than older Bowness-on-Windermere programmes.
Last researched and checked: 6 August 2026.
No approved comments yet.