Haarlem Comic Days May 30 and 31, 2026: Critical Looking

It is that time again. Comic book enthusiasts from the Netherlands and Belgium are flocking to Haarlem this weekend. On May 30 and 31, 2026, Haarlem transforms into one giant stage for graphic novels during Stripdagen Haarlem. From the station to De Koepel and far beyond, exhibitions, creators, and live drawings can be discovered throughout the city. And in De Koepel, the publishers' fair. Two days of strolling past artists and the comic market.

Haarlem Comic Days May 30 and 31, 2026: Critical Looking

Stripdagen Haarlem: the largest festival in the Benelux dedicated to comics, the graphic novel, the 9th Art—in short, the 9th Art. Festive and free every two years, featuring artists of all generations in the leading roles. In the Koepelgevangenis, our bustling fair for publishers and artists, with debates, interviews, workshops for children and young people, and much more. And, of course, a series of exhibitions spread throughout the city, including in public spaces. Stripdagen Haarlem is an initiative of Stichting Beeldverhaal Nederland (SBN). SBN aims to promote the development and quality of the Dutch graphic novel and the associated culture in and outside the Netherlands.

 

Theme 2026 – 'Critical Looking'

The graphic novel of 2026 has evolved into 'the 9th art' and offers a mature and broad range of genres for all kinds of audiences. The role of the graphic novel in journalism, social criticism, historiography, and activism is becoming increasingly prominent. Big names like Art Spiegelman and Joe Sacco are gaining more and more followers, including in Europe and the Netherlands. Another impressive trend is the autobiography or diary in comic form. This illustrated confessional literature shows us personal and honest stories in which heavy themes can sometimes be addressed. Such comic stories can contribute to emancipation and the breaking of taboos. It is therefore high time to adopt 'Critical Looking' as the motto for Stripdagen Haarlem 2026.

This year's campaign poster was designed by comic artist Milan Hulsing, winner of the 2026 Stripschapprijs. Hulsing is known for books such as Voetsporen, Stad van Klei, and the impressive comic adaptation of Harry Mulisch's De Aanslag. With his recognizable and narrative visual language, his work aligns seamlessly with the festival theme. The visitor is invited, as it were, to look at the world and at visual stories with a critical eye.

 

The stock exchange in the Dome

The fair in the Koepel occupies a key place in the programming of Stripdagen Haarlem. In and around the Koepel, both established publishers and Small Press publishers present their work to the public, as well as to each other. Creators have been a permanent part of the program since 2024 and demonstrate their working methods. The fair serves as an interactive link between the graphic novel and the creators. This also offers young creators an opportunity to gain experience in sales and to connect with their audience, as well as other creators and publishers.

 

het festival

Stripdagen Haarlem can call itself the largest biennial comic festival in Northern Europe. The festival positions itself as the ultimate hybrid festival where culture and event experience come together: a free city festival where visual stories come to life. Spread throughout the city, visitors discover how comics, graphic novels, cartoons, and illustrations not only entertain but also move, challenge, and connect.

Stripdagen Haarlem works closely with the most important cultural institutions in the city of Haarlem. During the festival, exhibitions, lectures, workshops, masterclasses, musical performances, and film screenings take place at more than twenty locations. For this eighteenth edition of the festival, the former dome prison forms the heart of the festival for the third time.

 

History

The festival took place for the first time in 1992 and was founded by, among others, Joost Swarte and Martijn Daalder. The Haarlem-based publicist and journalist Joost Pollmann, known to many as The Comic Professor, organized no fewer than 10 editions of the Haarlem Comic Days between 1994 and 2014.

Since 2002, work has been based on one or more main themes, providing a platform for graphic narratives from an underrepresented region or country. Previous editions focused on diverse themes, ranging from digitization, war, and world history to international comic cultures and influential creators.

Themes from previous editions included: Comics Under Current, True Stories, Scandinavia, Wheels & Wallonia (and Brussels), Eastern Europe, Arab Comics & Comic Atlas, The First World War, Underground in Pictures & The Painter Drawn, The Malleable Human, World Builders, Chris Ware, and the extra edition regarding 80 Years of Freedom.

 

Corporate identity designers through the years

For every edition of Stripdagen Haarlem, we ask a (well-known) illustrator to design the festival's corporate identity and campaign imagery. Previous editions included: Ever Meulen, Martin Lodewijk, René Windig & Eddy de Jong, Hein de Kort, Joost Swarte, Erik Kriek, Barbara Stok, Lamelos, Roel Smit, Joost Veerkamp, ​​Peter van Dongen, Typex, Hanco Kolk, Schwantz (Hans Klaver), Dieter van der Ougstraete, Chris Ware, and Erik de Graaf. For Stripdagen Haarlem 2026, the campaign image was created by Milan Hulsing.

IM Dick Matena. The world of comics and literature mourns the passing of cartoonist Dick Matena. In a long and rich career spanning all domains of the graphic novel, Matena created an unforgettable oeuvre. We owe the term 'comic adaptation' of literature to him. Stripdagen Haarlem cherishes special memories of the 2004 edition, when the complete series of drawings of Reve's ' created by Matena was on display.The evenings' was on display in the monumental Vleeshal on the Grote Markt. During the Comic Days weekend, many well-known residents of Haarlem and Amsterdam read the book 'De Avonden' aloud in its entirety to the public there, surrounded by Dick's impressive originals. Stripdagen Haarlem remembers Dick Matena with gratitude and wishes his surviving relatives and friends all strength.

 

<strong> More info: </strong>

Haarlem Comic Days May 30 and 31, 2026: https://www.stripdagenhaarlem.nl/

Previous comics blogs: https://www.postzegelblog.nl/tag/strips/