Thought Bubble Unveils Its 20th Edition Festival Programme for November 2026

Mi gente, Thought Bubble is hitting a major milestone this year, and the 20th edition is looking every bit like a celebration built by people who actually love comics. The Yorkshire Comic Art Festival returns November 9 through 15, 2026, with events spread across the region before everything funnels into the massive two-day comic convention at Harrogate Convention Centre on November 14 and 15.

The newly revealed festival programme stretches beyond a traditional convention floor. Thought Bubble is packing the week with creator talks, workshops, exhibitions, social events, live comic readings, industry discussions and free comics initiatives, giving fans multiple ways to engage with the medium before the main weekend even begins.

Among the announced festival events are creator-focused discussions at Leeds Central Library, the return of Comics Forum, a Pints and Pencils social drawing night, school workshops, free comic giveaways across Leeds libraries and a special 35th anniversary screening of Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The programme also includes launch events and conversations built around new graphic novels and independent publishing.

The convention weekend itself is stacked. Thought Bubble says more than 600 comic-creating exhibitors will fill Harrogate Convention Centre alongside special guests, signings, talks, exhibitions, workshops and a dedicated kids’ zone. Confirmed guests include Kate Beaton, Becky Cloonan, Al Ewing, Matt Fraction, Kieron Gillen, Jock, Tula Lotay, Jamie McKelvie, Emma Rios, Simon Spurrier, Christian Ward, Jeffrey Brown and plenty more.

There is also something fitting about convention co-founder Tula Lotay being part of the guest lineup for the 20th edition. Thought Bubble has grown from a regional comics gathering into one of the most respected creator-driven events on the calendar, but the focus is still on artists, writers, readers and the actual craft of making comics.

Thought Bubble Festival runs November 9 through 15 across Yorkshire, with the Comic Convention taking place November 14 and 15 at Harrogate Convention Centre. Twenty editions in, the mission has not changed much: celebrate comics, put creators in front of readers, and remind people why this medium still hits different when the community shows up for it.

The Crusade Never Ends!