More than 100,000 people attended the 10th Brussels Comic Strip festival, according to the Brussels tourism agency visit.brussels.
The festival was in the centre of Brussels and lasted from the 13th to the 15th of September. The event will change location and be held at the Tour and Taxis ferry terminal next year. The dates are the 11th to the 13th of September 2020.
The Comic Strip festival had over 100 exhibition stalls and nearly 300 authors and illustrators held 700 sessions and autograph signings during the festival. There were also various events set up in marquees in Brussels park and the BOZAR rooms.
The new school day was introduced on Friday this year. Pupils could attend a beginner’s story writing class, an anti-racism workshop with French footballer Lilian Thuram and a special session on the Second World War with Vincent Dugomier, the screenwriter for “Les Enfants de la Résistance” (the Children of the Resistance). The exhibition about this series was in the Belvue Museum and was very popular, as was the special conference headed by Jaco Van Dormael, Thomas Gunzig, François Schuiten and Laurent Durieux. These writers worked on the Blake and Mortimer spin-off “Le Dernier Pharaon” (the Last Pharoah).”
The Balloon’s Day Parade on Sunday also got a good turn-out. The 15 giant balloons were paraded through Brussels for nearly two hours. A new balloon representing Toto, the character created by Thierry Coppée, was added this year.
The move to Tour and Taxis announced for 2020 shows Brussels authorities want to help free up the centre of the city and invest in the area near the canal, which is currently being renovated. The next “eat BRUSSELS!” restaurant festival will also take place at Tour and Taxis.
The Brussels Times
