Two people dancing on stage with a forest background, a woman with curly hair wearing glasses, an orange jacket, and green pants, and a man with short hair in a blue jacket and brown pants, with chairs and musical equipment visible.

2026 Asheville Improv Festival

MAY 6-9 • Asheville NC

Fest Passes Now On Sale!
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We’re Back and Yeah, We’re Excited, Too!

We had so much damn fun at the 2025 Asheville Improv Festival that we couldn’t wait to do it again! Like last year, we promise a great time with amazing teams, loads of laughs AND some incredible festival headliners!

Our Festival Headliners

We are overwhelmingly proud to present what we feel is an amazing lineup of headliners, showcasing the best in musical, narrative and logform comedy improv! Hit that button below to learn more about our distinguished guests.

Read more about our headliners

Baby Wants Candy

Dan O’Connor

Logan Square Improv

Greg Tavares

People staged in a theatrical scene, with a woman in black dress being restrained by two women, and three men in the background, set against a forest-themed backdrop.
Three people on a stage holding hands, engaging in a group activity or performance, with chairs in the background.
A woman with glasses and pink hair on a stage, wearing a black jumpsuit, appears to be in the middle of speaking or performing, with a forest-themed set and a keyboard in the background.
A woman sitting on a chair with her eyes closed and an expression of discomfort, while a man kneeling beside her, appears to be shouting or crying out, with both on a stage with black curtains and overhead stage lights.
Group of people on stage engaged in an intense dramatic scene, with a man seated in the center expressing anger or fear, surrounded by others reacting emotionally.

Wanna Attend?

Heck yeah, you do! We feel so lucky to have an inclusive, vibrant, and richly talented improv comedy community in Western North Carolina and we can’t wait to share it with you all! There’s so much going on! Check it:

4 NIGHTS, 3 VENUES, 9 SHOWS, 4 HEADLINERS, 9+ WORKSHOPS, AND 35+ IMPROV COMEDY TEAMS FROM AROUND THE USA!

Early Bird Fest Passes Now On Sale!

Hard choices are for the birds! Get the pass that gets you into every show with the best seats in the house for the entire festival. PLUS you get access to the opening and closing afterparties, Fest Pass-exclusive swag and local sponsor discounts! AND the first 26 Fest Passes are only $109, saving you over $150 if you bought individual show tickets.

All shows will be at the following venues in downtown Asheville:

Diana Wortham Center for the Performing Arts

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The logo of the TV series "The Orange Peel" in orange cursive text.
learn more!

Wanna Perform?

Early Bird submissions are now open!

Get a jump on the party (and save a few bucks, too) by submitting your team early! Early bird submissions last through Wednesday, January 28th!

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Improv Teams

Whether it’s long-form, short-form, musical, narrative, solos, or duos, we’re into it! If you’re an improv team that wants to apply to perform at the Fest, hit the button below to learn all the things and to submit an application!

Team application
A young woman with curly black hair, wearing a pink sleeveless top and light blue jeans, sitting on a yellow wooden chair with one hand on her thigh and the other holding a phone to her ear, smiling and speaking.

Festival Ensemble

Itching to perform but don’t have a team? Or maybe you’re in between teams. No big! Apply to be a member of the Asheville Improv Festival Ensemble! If chosen, you’ll join other improvisors from around the country to form a Festival supergroup!

Ensemble application
A man in a red sweater standing on stage with four people behind him and three empty chairs in the background at a panel discussion or presentation.
Audience members sitting in a theater, clapping and smiling during a live event.
A theatrical performance showing two actors on stage, one man and one woman, engaging in a dramatic or comedic scene with expressive gestures and facial expressions. They are seated on wooden chairs, with a stage backdrop and sound equipment visible in the background.
Group of people on a stage, some standing, some kneeling, with one person standing on a chair, all appearing joyful and expressive, possibly performing or participating in a theatrical or improv activity.
A man in a blue jumpsuit with a name tag that says 'Joe' is kneeling on a chair with his hands on the seat, smiling and laughing during a theatrical performance set in a forest backdrop.