Veles Becomes the Balkans' Comic Capital: 8th International Colony Brings Together Female Artists From Five Countries
From August 20 to 23, the town on the Vardar hosts an international comic colony for the eighth year running — this time an all-female lineup from five Balkan countries, following a competition that drew a record 497 entries.
For the eighth year running, Veles is proving that a small Macedonian town can become a genuine regional meeting point for artists of the ninth art. From August 20 to 23, the Comic Center of Macedonia is hosting the "International Comic Colony Veles 2026," and this year's edition arrives with a concept never attempted before: every participant will be a woman, drawing from five different Balkan countries.
The idea — a Balkan women's artistic collaboration under one roof — comes right after the close of the accompanying international competition "Golden Comic," which drew a record 497 entries this year from artists around the world, including participants from across the Balkan region, Poland, several Asian countries, and even Nigeria.
A Town Investing in Its Own Scene
The event runs with financial support from the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Veles, which organizers see as proof the town genuinely wants to position itself as a regional capital of comics — not as a one-off, but as an ongoing, recurring project.
"We can safely say we have a full address book," the Comic Center said, pointing to years of international cooperation with organizations and artists across the region — cooperation that events like this turn into something concrete: artwork created together, in one place, at the same time.
MKNews Hub · Culture · August 16, 2026