Festival location and dates set

From October 29 to November 1, 2026, the city of Nantes in France will host the 27th edition of the Utopiales, a major science fiction festival in Europe.

Event theme and purpose

The festival will focus on the theme of "perspectives," reflecting on the changes since the singularity in 2025. Roland Lehoucq, president of Utopiales, emphasized that science fiction provides new ways to understand the world and its hidden aspects.

Venue and program changes

This year, the large auditorium "2001" will be closed for renovations. However, the event will expand to include new spaces within the Nantes Congress Center district, offering a wide range of activities over four days.

Activities and attractions

Visitors can attend around 130 roundtables, 58 film screenings, 13 exhibitions, and hundreds of games, evenings, and performances. The festival will also feature a bookstore with over 25,000 science fiction titles.

Notable guests and participants

Prominent guests include American author Robert Jackson Bennett, who has won the Hugo Award, and Veronica Roth, known for her Divergente series. Other participants include illustrator Léa Murawiec, archaeologist Jean-Paul Demoule, and biologist Olivier Hamant.

Youth engagement and partnerships

The festival includes a youth program with adapted conferences and film screenings, as well as workshops and a reading area. Science & Vie, a French science magazine, is partnering with Utopiales and will be present throughout the event.