The Annecy Animation Festival’s 2026 edition was one of records. Badge holders hit 19,100, an all time high and a signal of animation’s dramatic growth, up from 7,100 accredited attendees in 2013.
Meanwhile, during Annecy, on June 24 France bore the brunt of its hottest day on record. Annecy is already the most physically demanding of European film/TV events, split between screenings at the Bonlieu, a chic theater near its fairy-tale looking old part, and its market and panels, a 20-minute lakeside walk at the imposing Hotel Imperial.
“No two attendees could ever overlap on anything completely, unless it was complaining about the dangerously swampy heat,” GKids president Dave Jesteadt joked as this year’s event wound down.
According to Annecy Artistic Director, Marcel Jean, the unprecedented weather provoked screening no-shows, as ticket holders proved wary of braving the scorching sun when queueing outside festival venues.
At the same time, the Festival faced a deep contradiction: the quality of films and TV shows this year has never been better, multiple observers insisted. Yet the industry confronts many of the same disruptive tectonic challenges of live action entertainment.
