Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2026

Worth It

A strong multi-day cultural event with international visitors. Book accommodation early and leave time to walk between venues.

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival returns to Kendal from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October 2026. The festival began in Kendal in 2013 and is returning to the town for 2026. Brewery Arts Centre is the principal festival hub, with activity also planned at Kendal Town Hall, Cross Lane Projects Gallery and other venues and businesses around the town centre. The Festival Hub will be in the foyer of Brewery Arts Centre, 122A Highgate, Kendal, LA9 4HE. Published hub opening hours are: Friday 2 October: 10am to 7pm Saturday 3 October: 9am to 6pm Sunday 4 October: 9am to 4pm Festival passes are on sale for the weekend, Saturday and Sunday. Passes provide access to eligible premium events and exhibitions and priority access to signings. The Friday opening-night event and specialist creator-led workshops are ticketed separately. Pass prices were not reliably displayed on the publicly indexed ticket pages when checked on 6 August 2026, so no price has been guessed in this listing. Confirm the live total, booking fees and availability on TryBooking before paying. The official events page says the complete programme will contain around 40 events across Saturday and Sunday and was still being added when checked. Confirmed Friday event: Asterix vs. Tintin - The Rematch Friday 2 October, 8pm to 9.30pm Main Theatre, Brewery Arts Centre This opening-night live-draw event is sold separately from festival passes. Confirmed Saturday workshops: Printed Cinema Comics with Mike Derderian, 10am to 11.30am, age 12+ Create Your Own Manga Characters with Sonia Leong, 12pm to 1.30pm, recommended age 9 to 12 Sketching Your Surroundings with Leonie Bischoff, 2pm to 3.30pm, age 15+ Poetry Comics Workshop with Chrissy Williams, 4pm to 5.30pm, ideal from age 7+ Confirmed Sunday workshops: Create a Creature with Felt Mistress, 10am to 12.30pm, suitable for adults and children aged 8+ Build Your Own Beast, 1.30pm to 3pm, all ages and abilities Confirmed programme elements also include live draws, films, presentations, guided tours, one-to-one interviews, exhibitions, book launches, children's activities, the Comics Marketplace and the International Comics Rights Market. Confirmed 2026 guests include Bill Morrison, Bill Sienkiewicz, Charlie Adlard, Colleen Doran, Frank Quitely, Gemma Correll, ILYA, Marcos Martín, Michael Lark, Sean Phillips, Sonia Leong, VIZ and many more. The guest list may continue to change. The Landscapes of Contemporary Belgian Comics exhibition is also confirmed. It was developed by the Comic Art Museum in Brussels and produced by Wallonia-Brussels International. Accessibility is venue-specific. Brewery Arts provides wheelchair spaces and step-free seating options that should be arranged with its Box Office team in advance. Visitors using other festival venues should check each location and contact the organiser before booking where support is required. The festival is spread around Kendal, so allow time to walk between venues. Brewery Arts has a small paid car park, and Kendal also has council-run public car parks. Spaces may fill quickly during the festival. Public transport is a sensible option, with Kendal station serving local trains and Oxenholme Lake District providing main-line connections. Check the official programme, ticket pages and individual venue information shortly before travelling because guests, session times, venues and availability can change.