What Association Quai des Bulles does

Association Quai des Bulles is a French non-profit cultural association (association loi 1901) founded in 1981 and headquartered at 39 rue du Levant in Saint-Malo, Bretagne. Its stated mission is the promotion and valorization of bande dessinée (BD) comic book authors. The organization runs the annual Quai des Bulles festival (3 days each October, 45th edition in October 2026), which attracts approximately 46,000 visitors and features a book salon with 120 publisher stands and around 800 participating authors, alongside exhibitions, author encounters, professional days, and youth programming. Beyond the October festival, the association operates year-round programming including the 2026 'Lucky Luke Court Toujours!' summer exhibition at Chapelle Saint-Sauveur, the Concours Jeunes Talents emerging-artist competition, and a portfolio of BD awards (Prix Ouest-France, Prix Révélation BD ADAGP, Prix Jeunesse Ville de Saint-Malo, Grand Prix de l'Affiche, Prix du Meilleur Album).

The association operates as a small permanent team of approximately 13 staff, supplemented by roughly 300 volunteers who join the organizing effort annually. Revenue is generated through three principal streams: ticketed festival and exhibition admissions (e.g., €14 single-day pass, €29 3-day pass, €7/€5 Lucky Luke exhibition entry, €6 workshops), an e-commerce boutique (boutique.quaidesbulles.com) selling festival merchandise and books, and institutional/corporate partnerships. Public-sector funding flows from the Ministère de la Culture, Région Bretagne, Centre National du Livre, and Ville de Saint-Malo; corporate partners include Dargaud, ADAGP, Ouest-France, ICI Bretagne, Crédit Agricole, Ankama, Fluide Glacial, Club 99, SNCF Réseau, and others. Distribution combines direct online ticketing, on-site box office, tourist office resellers, the e-commerce boutique, and a dedicated school/youth program with free admission for school groups.

There is no proprietary technology stack, no AI/ML capabilities, and no app; the offering is fundamentally event- and curation-driven rather than software-driven. Effective June 1, 2026, governance moved to a codirection model with Paul Bondot overseeing events and partnerships and Delphine Leprince Delobel overseeing administration and human resources. The association does not pursue investment funding and has no parent company; it operates as an independent loi 1901 association governed by a board of directors (conseil d'administration).

Name

Association Quai des Bulles

Legal name

Quai des Bulles

Website

https://quaidesbulles.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Association Quai des Bulles is a French non-profit (loi 1901) founded in 1981 in Saint-Malo, Bretagne, that organizes the annual Quai des Bulles comic book festival (46,000 visitors, 3 days each October), year-round BD exhibitions, awards programs, and youth talent competitions for readers, authors, publishers, and schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Comic Book Festival / Cultural Events

NAICS

Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Culture, Entertainment & Fan Conventions Organizers (THAHABAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Collectibles & Hobby Shows (MPAGAFAN), Comic Books, Graphic Novels & Manga Retail (CRALAAAF)

Keywords

• Comic book festival
• Bande dessinée events
• Cultural association events
• Comic art exhibitions
• BD awards program

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-Malo

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Festival and Exhibition Admissions: Ticket sales for the annual festival (single-day and 3-day passes) and summer exhibitions including the Lucky Luke exhibition. Ticketed events generate revenue from attendees.
2. Boutique and Merchandise: Online shop selling festival merchandise, books, and related items through boutique.quaidesbulles.com
3. Partnerships and Sponsorships: Partnerships with publishers (Dargaud), media partners (Ouest-France), and institutional sponsors (Ministère de la Culture, Région Bretagne, Ville de Saint-Malo) provide both funding and operational support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Association Quai des Bulles organizes the annual Quai des Bulles comic book festival in Saint-Malo, Bretagne, drawing 46,000 visitors over three days with 800 authors and 120 publisher stands. It runs a year-round cultural program including summer exhibitions (e.g., Lucky Luke 'court toujours!' summer 2026), multiple literary awards (Prix Ouest-France, Prix ADAGP Révélation BD, Prix Jeunesse Ville de Saint-Malo), the Concours Jeunes Talents competition, an online merchandise boutique, and a digital archive of past editions.

Product overview

Association Quai des Bulles operates a multi-product ecosystem centered around its flagship annual comic book festival in Saint-Malo, Bretagne. The core offering is the 3-day festival (October 9-11, 2026, 45th edition), which integrates a book salon, exhibitions, and author encounters. Complementing the festival are prize programs (Prix Ouest-France, Prix ADAGP Révélation BD, Prix Jeunesse) that reward 25 selected albums annually. A notable 2026 initiative is the Lucky Luke Court Toujours! summer exhibition at Chapelle Saint-Sauveur (July 11 - October 11, 2026), co-produced with Dargaud. The organization also runs the Concours Jeunes Talents for emerging artists, an online boutique, and maintains archives of past editions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Prix Ouest-France / Quai des Bulles: Literary prize awarded by a jury of 9 young readers from Ouest-France newspaper, recognizing BD albums published between June 1 and May 31 of the given year.
• Prix ADAGP / Quai des Bulles (Révélation BD)
• Prix Jeunesse Ville de Saint-Malo
• Concours Jeunes Talents

Products and services

• Festival Quai des Bulles Annual 3-day comic book and projected image festival held in Saint-Malo, Bretagne, attracting 46,000 visitors with exhibitions, author encounters, a book salon with 120 stands and 800 authors, projections, and animations.
• Lucky Luke 'court toujours!' Exhibition Large-scale summer exhibition at Chapelle Saint-Sauveur in Saint-Malo (July 11 to October 11, 2026) celebrating the 80th anniversary of Lucky Luke, with approximately 400 m² of exhibition space, ticketed entry, and creative workshops.
• Prix Quai des Bulles Annual literary awards program including Prix Ouest-France (readers' choice by 9 young readers), Prix ADAGP Révélation BD (€5,000 prize and exhibition space for emerging BD authors), and Prix Jeunesse Ville de Saint-Malo (youth award judged by school-based readers), with 25 albums selected annually.
• Concours Jeunes Talents Annual competition discovering and showcasing emerging comic book talents, featuring 15 winners in 2026 and a thematically curated edition open to young artists.
• Creative Workshops at Lucky Luke Exhibition Ticketed creative workshops (€6 per session, in addition to exhibition entry) at the Lucky Luke exhibition, each 1.5 hours long, for ages 8+, with 12 places per session, held July-August 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• 46,000 visitors attend annually over 3 days
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• ADAGP (Société des auteurs dans les arts visuels)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026Co-organizes the Prix Révélation BD ADAGP / Quai des Bulles. ADAGP is a French copyright management society representing 260,000+ artists. Prize includes €5,000 and exhibition space for emerging BD authors. Partnership in its 11th year.
• Ouest-FrancecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for Prix Ouest-France / Quai des Bulles reader's choice award. The prize is judged by 9 readers aged 18-35 selected by the newspaper.
• ICI BretagnecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional media partner supporting the festival and its awards.
• DargaudcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of the Lucky Luke 'court toujours!' exhibition (July-October 2026) celebrating 80 years of Lucky Luke. Dargaud is the publisher of Lucky Luke.
• Les Rendez-vous de la BD d'AmienssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating organization on the Lucky Luke exhibition, alongside the Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée and festival Un automne à buller du Havre.
• Centre Belge de la Bande DessinéesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating organization on the Lucky Luke exhibition.
• Festival Un automne à buller du HavresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating organization on the Lucky Luke exhibition.
• Ville de Saint-MalocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHost city providing institutional support, venue access (Chapelle Saint-Sauveur, Palais du Grand Large, Tour Bidouane), and co-sponsoring youth prizes.
• Livre et lecture en BretagnesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional book and reading organization co-organizing the annual professional day with Quai des Bulles.
• Club 99supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 99 BD bookshops in France supporting and promoting the festival.
• AnkamasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublisher and production company co-producing exhibitions (e.g., Le Phénomène Radiant with Quai des Bulles).
• Fluide GlacialsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBD magazine publisher co-producing exhibitions (e.g., La Mine de Plomb de Franquin).
• SNCF RéseauminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational railway infrastructure company sponsoring specific exhibitions (De Façades en Façades).
• Les Activités sociales de l'énergieminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial activities organization for energy sector sponsoring the Transidentités en BD exhibition.
• Expo OuestsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExhibition installation company providing stand setup and custom fittings for exhibitors.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Comic Con France: Broader pop-culture convention covering comics, manga, film, and gaming. Competes for the same enthusiast audience and media attention, but with a wider category scope than Quai des Bulles.

Direct peers

• Festival Un automne à buller du Havre: BD festival held in Le Havre and a collaborating partner on the Lucky Luke 80th anniversary exhibition. Comparable in scale, audience, and French regional BD event positioning.
• Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d'Angoulême: France's flagship and largest BD festival, held annually in Angoulême. Direct competitor for publisher attention, author signings, BD industry partnerships, and sponsor mindshare in the French BD events market.
• BD Boum: Long-running BD festival held in Blois, France, with author signings, exhibitions, and awards. Directly comparable in mission and programming to Quai des Bulles.
• Festival BD de Colomiers: Regional BD festival near Toulouse featuring exhibitions and author meet-and-greets; comparable in format and target audience to Quai des Bulles.
• Japan Touch Haru: Manga and Japanese pop-culture festival held in Lyon, addressing overlapping BD/manga audience segments and competing for the same French BD-anime fan community.
• Les Rendez-vous de la Bande Dessinée d'Amiens: BD festival in Amiens, France, and an existing collaboration partner on the Lucky Luke exhibition. Operates with a similar non-profit event-driven model targeting BD authors and readers.
• Lyon BD Festival: Annual BD festival in Lyon featuring exhibitions, author encounters, and awards. Comparable in scope, audience profile, and partnership-driven programming model to Quai des Bulles.

Others

• Dargaud: Major French BD publisher (Lucky Luke, Astérix, Thorgal) and core co-production partner for Quai des Bulles' marquee exhibitions. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
• Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée: Belgian comics museum and exhibition organizer in Brussels. Collaborating partner on the Lucky Luke exhibition; operates adjacent exhibition programming serving BD audiences across Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-quai-des-bulles

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Association Quai des Bulles