ImprovFestivals.orgSan Francisco Improv Festival
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates | August 12-16, 2026 |
| Location | San Francisco, CA, USA |
| Language | English |
| Organizer | The San Francisco Improv Festival (501(c)(3) nonprofit) |
| Website | sfimprovfestival.com |
| The San Francisco Improv Festival | |
| @sfimprovfest | |
| YouTube | sfimprovfest |
Overview
The San Francisco Improv Festival (SFIF) is a long-running improv comedy festival founded in 2004 by Sam Shaw and Shaun Landry. The 2026 edition marks the festival's return under new leadership, headed by Artistic Director Marcus Sams along with producers Michael J. Astrauskas and Clay Robeson. Billed under the tagline "Coming Back Together Under the Same Stars," the five-day festival runs Wednesday through Sunday at Silk Road Bar in Union Square.
Headliners
The 2026 lineup runs 19 acts across 10 shows over three nights at Silk Road Bar. Bay Area companies make up most of the bill, including BATS Improv, Leela, Endgames, Speechless, RagTag Improv, Afrofuturistix and Party Onward. Visiting acts come from Reno, Denver, Chicago, Hawaii, Florida and Boston. Oil in the Alley, over from Hawaii, opens the festival with an outdoor concert in Union Square on the Thursday afternoon.
Workshops
Seven instructors teach eight workshops from Friday through Sunday, chosen from 38 submissions. The faculty is Nick Armstrong (Denver), Jonathan Pitts (Chicago), Lauren Baumbauer (Long Beach), and Bay Area teachers Karen Twelves, Jon Burnett, Jaime Rich and Geraldine Carolan. Sessions run two to six hours and cost $40 to $120. Armstrong's Character Lab Intensive ends with a class performance on the Saturday night bill.
Submissions
Submissions for SFIF 2026 closed June 20, 2026. The fee schedule was tiered: $25 early bird through May 21, $35 standard through June 5, and $45 late bird through the final deadline of June 20.