The festival, establishing itself as the capital of comic books, takes place at Parque da Liberdade, the Bedeteca da Amadora, and the Galeria Municipal Artur Bual. The exhibitions commemorate significant milestones in world comic history and showcase relevant voices in contemporary art.
At the Núcleo Central in Parque da Liberdade, the focus is on the 80th anniversaries of the series Lucky Luke and Blake & Mortimer, featuring original works by Morris and the presence of artist Peter Van Dongen. Also celebrated are the 65th anniversary of the Fantastic Four, with screenwriter Ryan North and illustrator Iban Coello, the 40th anniversary of Dylan Dog, and the 25th anniversary of Menino Triste by João Mascarenhas.
The festival also hosts a retrospective of acclaimed Canadian author Guy Delisle, coinciding with his eponymous exhibition. Four exhibitions delve into personal and political stories of great impact: As linhas que traçam o meu corpo (with author Mansoureh Kamari), As Raparigas de Salém (with author Thomas Gilbert), Shi – Ciclo Um (featuring Joseph Homs), and Crónicas de Enerelis by Patrícia Costa.
At the Galeria Municipal Artur Bual, two exhibitions are dedicated to cartoon and satire: a retrospective of the Spam Cartoon project (André Carrilho, Cristina Sampaio, Tiago Albuquerque, and João Fazenda) and a showcase of Vasco Gargalo. The Bedeteca da Amadora presents Tales from Nevermore by Pedro N. and Manuel Monteiro, winner of the Revelation Award at the 2025 PBDA.
The original illustration for the 37th edition is by Luis Louro, winner in 2025 of the Award for Best Portuguese Author Comic Book at the PBDA.
The event features parallel activities, including Hora da BD (Comic Hour), offering additional discounts of up to 15% on books from Monday to Thursday, between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM. For the first time, the gaming area includes an Artist Alley, dedicated to independent creators involved in pop culture, comic books, illustration, and animation.
The Amadora Comic Book Awards (PBDA) are enhanced in 2026. The monetary prize for ‘Best Portuguese Author Comic Book Work’ doubles to €10,000, and a new €3,000 prize is introduced for ‘Revelation Award’. The Municipality of Amadora will also purchase 100 copies of the winning work for ‘Best Portuguese Comic Book Edition’.
The PBDA winners will be announced on October 18th, the festival's first Sunday. These awards reaffirm their status as the most significant comic book distinction in Portugal, supporting national publishing and the talent of Portuguese authors.
Amadora BD, established in 1990 by the Câmara Municipal da Amadora, aims to promote and disseminate comic books, annually bringing together authors, publishers, agents, and collectors for exhibitions, launches, workshops, and presentations.
