KNOKKE-HEIST CARTOON FESTIVAL

For more than sixty years, the Knokke-Heist Cartoon Festival has been showcasing the best cartoons from around the world. Using a good joke to make a critical point—that’s what cartoonists are all about. Sometimes they tickle our funny bones, other times they make us uncomfortable: don’t underestimate the power of the cartoon.

REGISTER SOON

Golden Hat International Cartoon Contest

Are you a cartoonist with a keen eye and an original style? Then enter the Golden Hat International Cartoon Contest, the oldest cartoon contest in the world and a staple of the Knokke-Heist Cartoon Festival.

The annual contest brings together talent from all over the world and is part of the spring exhibition at the Scharpoord Cultural Center.

Registration opens on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

GOLDEN HAT 2026

The international Golden Hat cartoon contest once again reaffirms its reputation as one of the world’s largest cartoon contests. For this edition, 2,160 cartoons were submitted by 545 cartoonists from 69 countries. A panel of experts selected the strongest entries based on graphic quality, originality, social relevance, and the power of the image.

The Golden Hat 2026 goes to Mexican cartoonist Camila de la Fuente. With a simple yet powerful drawing in shades of gray pencil, she illustrates how inequality between men and women often arises unconsciously. The image depicts a boy standing on the string of a girl’s kite, preventing her kite from taking off. The boy doesn’t even notice. Using minimal means, the cartoon exposes a recognizable and confrontational reality.

The Silver Hat Award goes to Raúl Zuleta from Colombia. His cartoon depicts Mary, Joseph, and the newborn child in an anonymous apartment in a drab high-rise. This gives the biblical scene a contemporary context that raises questions about refugees, exclusion, and the search for shelter. The quiet power and open interpretation of the work particularly moved the jury.

The Bronze Hat goes to Oğuz Demir from Turkey. In a graphically striking four-panel series, a sleeping cat slowly transforms into a roaring tiger under the moonlight, only to turn back into an ordinary cat. The drawing subtly plays with time, shadow, and symbolism, raising questions about inner strength, revolution, and human nature.

The 2025 Audience Award was won by Engin Selçuk from Turkey. It was the combination of nostalgia and self-deprecation that earned Engin the audience award.  With his jaded Darth Vader, he captures aging, heroism, and our own human vulnerability at a glance. 

Curious about all the selected cartoonists? View them here by country.

Press Cartoon Belgium

Press Cartoon Belgium once again presented awards for the best cartoons from the Belgian press. From a wide selection of published cartoons, a jury of Flemish and French-speaking journalists selected three winners.

The Knokke-Heist Grand Prize goes to Kamagurka for his cartoon “No News, Good News.” The drawing refers to the war in Gaza and the pressure on journalists in conflict zones. By creating a sharp contrast between a trite expression and harsh reality, the cartoon exposes the vulnerability of press freedom. According to the jury, the cartoon is both an indictment of the cover-up of violence and a powerful plea for free journalism, a cornerstone of every democracy.

Second Prize goes to Karl for a cartoon about European soft power policy. By symbolically depicting European influence as a lipstick, he contrasts Europe’s soft diplomatic approach with the hard military power of other world powers. The drawing led to differing interpretations among the jury, which, in their view, precisely underscores the cartoon’s power.

The Third Prize goes to Kroll for a cartoon about the situation of Afghan women in 2025. The cartoon shows how women are not only imprisoned but also literally forced into silence. The jury emphasized that the subject receives too little attention in the media and praised the cartoon’s sharp and poignant visual language.

What else is on the schedule?

WORKSHOPS

Four fun workshops for young creative minds

Dive into the imaginative world of cartoons during the Knokke-Heist Cartoon Festival 2026! In this series of fun and accessible workshops, kids will discover their own drawing skills and create unique, funny little works of art to take home.

🎨Create your own self-portrait
Transform yourself into a colorful cartoon hero or heroine!

🧲Cartoon Art Magnet
Design a mini-masterpiece that’ll soon be on display on any fridge.

🔑Crazy keychain (made from recycled materials!)
Give used materials a second life and create a totally wacky accessory.

Every Saturday. Each session runs from 2:00–5:00 p.m. on a drop-in basis and with guidance.

THE BEST BELGIAN CARTOONS

BELGIAN CARTOONS

Join us in celebrating the ^{25th anniversary}of Press Cartoon Belgium.

Every year, Press Cartoon Belgium selects the best political cartoons published in the Belgian press. If you enjoy cartoons about current events, drawn by the cream of the crop of press cartoonists, the Cartoon Festival is the place to be. A selection of the best cartoons from the past 25 years and the best cartoons of 2024 will be presented together in this summer’s exhibition.

From among the thousands of cartoons published in the Belgian media in 2024, the CCP selection committee shortlisted 416 cartoons, which were posted on the website. From these, the committee selected the 102 best cartoons, created by 23 different cartoonists. This selection was then submitted to the jury. The jury ultimately named eight finalists, from whom three winners were chosen.

The CCP Winners

Here are the eight finalists selected by the jury, in alphabetical order:

Grand Prize (tie) – Lectrr(De Standaard) With this cartoon, Lectrr soberly yet effectively addresses the assassination of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. On the cutting board lies the unspoken truth: the culprit is Vladimir Putin.
Grand Prize (tie) - GAL (Knack) The second Grand Prize was awarded to GAL for a controversial cartoon about Gaza. His work draws parallels with the Holocaust and highlights the collective traumas passed down from generation to generation.
Second Prize – Marec (Het Nieuwsblad) Marec reveals the dark side of the art world in this comic strip. Abuse and hypocrisy lurk beneath the mask of culture.
Third Prize – Kanar (Moustique) With a calm and poignant cartoon about sexual abuse in the Church, Kanar holds up a mirror. The cartoon depicts a child facing an anonymous pope seated on a throne.

All award-winning and nominated works are featured in the CCP’s 2025 catalog and can also be viewed at the Comic Book Festival this summer.

More information

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR US?

Documentary "10Years of #jesuischarlie"

We know that political cartoonists keep a close eye on current events. But it’s less well known that their profession also involves risks. The VRT documentary “10 Years of #jesuischarlie” offers a compelling look at what has—or hasn’t—changed since the attack on the Charlie Hebdo editorial office.

The documentary will be available for streaming throughout the Cartoon Festival.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

During the Comic Book Festival, there’s plenty to do beyond the exhibition itself. Meet your favorite artist at a book signing and have your book signed. Want to give it a try? Join one of our drawing workshops and discover what you can create with just a pencil and an eraser. While Mom and Dad explore the exhibition, kids can have fun hunting for flies and enjoythe welcomingworkshop area with age-appropriate activities. And those who’d like to take a souvenir home can visit the comic book store.

FAMILY FESTIVAL

WORKSHOPS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ARTSHIZZLE & PRENTE ART MARKET

'S WORKSHOPSARE IN PROGRESS
During the Cartoon Festival, children can enjoy the Cartoon Factory in collaboration with Artshizzle all summer long. New this year: this creative workshop is open every day, all day long! Make funny faces, strike a cartoon character pose, or relax with a book.

Ages 6 and up, free. No registration required, but parents must stay nearby.

CRAZY BIRDS WORKSHOP
SATURDAY, JULY 12
11 A.M. TO 1 P.M. AND 2 P.M. TO 4 P.M.

With illustrator Sydney Vercammen, you’ll create colorful collages of crazy birds and make them fly using stop-motion animation.

Ages 10 and up, may be accompanied by an adult. Maximum of 10 participants. For the workshop, please bring a cell phone on which you can download an app. Participation fee: €8, payable on site .
Register at cartoonfestival@knokke-heist.be.

GRAFFITI WORKSHOP ON PAMPLEMOUSSE
SUNDAY, AUGUST 17
2:00, 3:00, AND 4:00 PM

Did you know you can draw perfectly on a citrus fruit? Illustrator Stan Lievens will teach you how to create whimsical drawings on a grapefruit. Creative and healthy!

Ages 10 and up—10 participants per session.
Free if you register via
cartoonfestival@knokke-heist.be.

BOOK SIGNINGS AND FLIGHT SEARCH

Meet your favorite illustrator and have your book signed!

SATURDAY
SUNDAY, JULY 20 – 2:00–4:00 PM

LISE VANLERBERGHE
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13 – 2:00 PM–4:00 PM

MAREC
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20 - 2:00 PM–4:00 PM

FLIGHT QUEST
The activity booklet featuring a “Quest for Flight” (ages 6–12) with fun tasks throughout the exhibition is available for free at the entrance/counter of the Cartoon Festival. This way, even the youngest cartoon fans can explore the festival in a playful way. Want to fly even more? Discover the Fly quests at other locations in Knokke-Heist.