ImprovFestivals.orgThe Nestival Festival
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates | March 25 - April 4, 2027 |
| Location | Columbus, OH, USA |
| Language | English |
| Organizer | The Nest Theatre + Comedy Arts Center |
| Website | thenestival.com |
| The Nest Theatre | |
| @thenesttheatre |
Overview
The Nestival is an annual improv and comedy festival produced by The Nest Theatre + Comedy Arts Center. Founders Tara DeFrancisco and Rance Rizzutto, started the festival in March 2017 and bill it as the longest consistently running comedy festival in Ohio.
The festival runs across two weekends. One brings in national touring acts and hosts the workshop track. The other belongs to Columbus teams and Nest regulars. Everything happens inside the theatre's building on High St in Old North Columbus, which houses four performance and classroom spaces: the 75-seat Mainstage, the 18-seat Bluebird Studio, the 20-seat Incubator classroom, and the 36-seat Birdhouse. The Nest is a not-for-profit and pays small stipends to every visiting team.
Workshops
The visiting-artist weekend includes workshops taught by festival performers and guest instructors. The 2026 edition ran eight of them, capped at 16 students each, with a show ticket included in the price.
Submissions
Applications for the 2027 festival are expected to open in October 2026 with a deadline of January 8, 2027. Details are expected to be posted at thenestival.com.