Ravenna is hosting the fifth edition of the Coconino Fest, a major Italian festival dedicated to contemporary graphic novels, running from May 30 to June 2, 2026, with a preview on May 29. The festival's headquarters will be the MAR – Museo d’Arte della città di Ravenna, featuring exhibitions by international artists including David Prudhomme, Olivier Schrauwen, Miguel Vila, and Japanese manga artist Yamamoto Miki. The Biblioteca Classense will host an exhibition by Lebanese artist and performer Mazen Kerbaj. The program includes talks, book signings, and interdisciplinary events blending comics with music, theater, and performance, such as a dialogue between Vinicio Capossela and David Prudhomme on Greek Rebetiko music, and a tribute to Miles Davis by trumpeter Paolo Fresu and cartoonist Paolo Parisi. A collaboration with the Ravenna Festival will present a theatrical adaptation of a graphic novel by Chiara Lagani and Mara Cerri.
The festival matters because it has established itself as a key platform for exploring the intersection of comics with visual arts and performance, expanding the boundaries of the graphic novel medium. Its 2026 theme, "Rebels," underscores the role of comics as a critical language for engaging with contemporary political and social issues, from Mazen Kerbaj's reflections on Gaza to Yamamoto Miki's examination of patriarchy and power dynamics. The growing interdisciplinary focus, including partnerships with music and theater festivals, highlights how graphic novels are increasingly recognized as a vital form of cultural dialogue in Italy and beyond.