A festival organized by Coimbra City Council, through its Division of Libraries and Historical Archives, will take place on the 25th, 26th, and 27th of this month, showcasing a diverse and plural range of initiatives centered around comic books and pop culture. This was confirmed by Maria Carlos Pêgo, the director of the Department of Culture and Tourism.
During the presentation conference held at the Convento São Francisco, it was revealed that the venue will host exhibitions and an “Artists Alley,” featuring over 60 participants.
The exhibitions available for viewing include “From Dylan Dog to Batman” by Gigi Cavenago; “The Children of Baba Yaga” by Luís Louro; “Chronicles of Enerelis” by Patrícia Costa; “The Trap” by Osvaldo Medina; and “The Adoption” by Arno Monin.
Other notable exhibitions include “Written in Coimbra: The Classics of Literature Revisited in Comics” by various authors such as Joana Afonso, Rita Alfaiate, Carina Correia, Filipe Abranches, Miguel Jorge, João Miguel Lameiras, and João Ramalho-Santos; “And After April” by Filipe Duarte and André Mateus; “Arcadian Devils” by Fábio Powers and Jules Spaniard; and “The (Comic) Band Is Passing Through Here!” which is displayed at the Coimbra Municipal Library.
Among the participating artists is Daniel Henriques, a Portuguese comic book creator with over a decade of experience in the industry, who is also the designer of the Festival Coimbra BD 2025 poster. His exhibit, “Sherlee Jackson and the Spawn Universe,” will be featured at the event.
The confirmed guest list includes Luís Louro, Jorge Coelho, Pedro Chagas Freitas, Derradé, André Carrilho, Osvaldo Medina, Patrícia Costa, Margarida Madeira, Daniel Maia, Inês Fetchônaz, Ricardo Cabral, Francisco Ucha, Gigi Cavenago, Arno Monin, and Eddy Barrows.
Offering a program open to all audiences, the event will include discussions with guests, autograph and photo sessions, and workshops, emphasized Maria Carlos Pêgo.
The festival will also feature a ‘kids & family’ area, gaming spaces, sections devoted to card and board games, cinema, cosplay, editorial launches, and the participation of publishers such as Dr. Kartoon, Ala dos Livros, A Seita, Arte de Autor, Penguin Random House, GFloy, Levoir, Asa, Bertrand, Europrice, Convergência, Presença, Devir, Sendai, and Prime Books.
Coimbra’s Mayor, José Manuel Silva, stated that the council remains committed to supporting Coimbra BD, describing it as one of the city’s crown jewels.
The city’s investment in this year’s event totaled 40,000 euros, excluding venue and staffing costs.
“Our goal for the coming years is to continue growing sustainably, reinforcing this as the largest comic event in the central region,” Silva affirmed.
In 2024, the Festival Coimbra BD attracted 14,600 visitors, nearly double that of 2023, with hopes of welcoming even more attendees this year, added Maria Carlos Pêgo.
The event’s programming and production are managed by GuessTheChoice.
