Phoenix Fest 2025 Joins LICAF for an Epic Comics Celebration in the Lake District!

The UK's Best Kids' Comic Festival joins forces with the Lakes International Comic Art Festival.

The Phoenix comic and the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (LICAF) are thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership that will see Phoenix Fest 2025 coming to the heart of the Lake District this autumn.

For the first time ever, Phoenix Fest – the UK's best-loved children's comics festival – will join LICAF for a weekend of storytelling, creativity, and comic fun in Bowness-on-Windermere, from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th September 2025.

Presented by The Phoenix comic, and organised by LICAF, Phoenix Fest 2025 will host a special line-up of live events designed especially for children and families. These unique events will feature a wide range of creators from The Phoenix bringing the comics, characters, and stories to life through interactive shows, drawing workshops, comic signings and general Phoenixyness!

Held annually, Phoenix Fest has become a sell-out celebration of children's comics and children's comic creators. Previous years have featured top creators such as Bunny vs Monkey's Jamie Smart, and Donut Squad's Neill Cameron. 

"All the kids who come to Phoenix Fest say it's the best day of their lives. And it is for us too. It's a one of a kind event, where comic-loving kids and the very best comic creators in the UK get together to celebrate comics and creativity. It's hugely enjoyable and it fills the whole Phoenix Team with enough zeal and energy to keep making the comic for another year."

Partnering with LICAF to bring the festival to the Lakes opens up an exciting new chapter for the festival – giving young comics fans in the North of England the chance to take part in a brilliant, immersive comics experience that's previously been too far away for many to attend.

"We're so thrilled to be working with LICAF to bring Phoenix Fest 2025 to life. Working with LICAF is such a natural fit – it's a weekend organised by comic lovers, for comic lovers."

LICAF is the only comic art festival of its kind in the UK. Modelled on European-style town-wide celebrations like France's Angoulême Festival, LICAF transforms Bowness into a comics hub each September. Alongside its public programme, LICAF also supports comic creators through commissions, international exchanges, and its Comic Rights Market, all with support from the Arts Council.

"We're delighted to welcome The Phoenix and Phoenix Fest to LICAF this year. It's a perfect partnership that builds on our shared commitment to nurturing creativity and inspiring young readers and artists."

The Festival's aim is to celebrate the whole spectrum of comic art, inspiring existing comic art fans and creators and, it hopes, generating new audiences and creators too. It invests in creators through a commissioning programme and has an emphasis on developing international collaborations.

Tickets for Phoenix Fest events will be sold separately from LICAF's general Festival Pass, and will go on sale at 8.00pm on Tuesday 1st July 2025. 

Further details, including the full line-up and event updates will be available via www.comicartfestival.com and www.thephoenixcomic.co.uk