Angoulême cultural calendar

The calendar month by month

This overview follows the sequence of Angoulême's cultural year. Precise dates shift slightly from one edition to the next; it is worth checking with the tourist office or the official websites. All events listed below are either free or offer reduced-price tickets.

January: the winter of comics

Each late January, Angoulême draws the world's attention to the ninth art. The International Comics Festival (FIBD), founded in 1974, is the second largest comics festival in the world after San Diego. Tens of thousands of visitors converge on the upper town for signings, exhibitions and prize ceremonies. The 2026 edition was, however, cancelled owing to a governance dispute: the city organised 'Le Grand Off', a free and festive replacement event. The official revival is planned for January 2027.

Spring: theatre and performing arts

From March to June, the season at Angoulême's theatres is in full swing. The Théâtre d'Angoulême — Scène nationale offers an ambitious programme mixing contemporary theatre, dance, music and multidisciplinary performance. The national stage holds a label awarded by the Ministry of Culture, guaranteeing high-calibre programming at reasonable prices. Alongside it, La Nef programmes contemporary music ranging from chanson to electronic acts. The regional conservatoire (CRR) also holds end-of-year concerts open to the public.

Late May: Musiques Métisses

Late May, Musiques Métisses turns Angoulême into a crossroads of world music. Founded in 1976, this pioneering festival blends world music, reggae, afrobeat, Congolese rumba and many other influences across open-air stages and indoor venues. The atmosphere is decidedly festive and family-friendly. African, Caribbean, Latin American and European artists gather on stages scattered across the city and surroundings. Open-air concerts are often free or very cheap, making it one of the most accessible festivals in the region.

Summer: the Charente riverbanks in festive mood

June, July and August see a proliferation of summer events on the Charente riverbanks. Musical picnics, guinguette evenings, introductions to sailing on the gabarres and open-air concerts animate the landscaped banks at Saint-Cybard and the surroundings of the Cité de la bande dessinée. The Angoulême summer also brings night markets, neighbourhood fêtes and activities hosted by L'Alpha media library for families and young people.

Late August: Festival du Film Francophone

Late August, the Festival du Film Francophone d'Angoulême brings together, for five days, film professionals, actors, directors and large audiences around French-language cinema. Indoor screenings, open-air screenings on giant screens, cast-and-crew meetings and a local red-carpet ceremony make the festival a celebration for the whole city. Films awarded prizes here are often distributed in the months that follow.

September: the Circuit des Remparts

On the third weekend of September, the Circuit des Remparts turns the avenues of the upper town into a historic motor-racing circuit. Vintage cars dating from the 1910s to the 1970s parade and race on a unique urban track. Each edition draws more than a hundred thousand visitors, creating an electric atmosphere around the medieval ramparts. Saturday afternoon hosts the 'Vieilles Charrues Charentaises' rally for pre-war vehicles; Sunday brings the timed race that makes the upper town vibrate.

Autumn and winter: culture indoors

From October, the cultural season resumes indoors. The Théâtre d'Angoulême — Scène nationale and La Nef open their new seasons with ambitious programmes of theatre, dance and music. L'Alpha media library, open year-round, intensifies its temporary exhibitions and lecture series in autumn. The conservatoire and cultural associations further enrich an already dense offer. In December, the Christmas market occupies the Place du Champ de Mars and the town centre for several weeks, with chalets, Charentais craft products, mulled wine and children's entertainment.