The four‑day event ran from Thursday morning to Sunday evening, marking the festival’s 27th iteration.
Organisers had to reconfigure venues because construction work limited space and Saturday afternoon protests disrupted parts of the city.
Despite the reduced footfall, booksellers, publishers and authors benefited from a greater number of signing sessions.
Sales of titles featured at the festival rose compared with the prior year, according to festival officials.
Utopiales continues to be a key marketplace for science‑fiction literature in France, drawing industry participants even when overall visitor numbers dip.