The Nestival Festival 2026

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Overview

The Nestival is an annual improv festival presented by The Nest Theatre + Comedy Arts Center, the only dedicated space in central Ohio for improv, sketch, experimental theatre, standup, and alt comedy. The festival brings teams from across the country to Columbus.

Week 1 featured headliners, out-of-town acts, and 8 workshops. Week 2 highlighted local Columbus standup and improv performers, ending with the Troika 2026 Finals. Performance spaces included the Nest Mainstage (75 seats), Bluebird Studio (18 seats), the Incubator (20 seats), and the Birdhouse (36 seats).

Visiting acts included Pullin' It (Dayton), What If? (Philadelphia), Barbara, a Mother and Danger Stage (Pittsburgh), Freak Pony (Nashville), Celibate, Goon Platoon and Touch Baseball (St. Louis), Nnamdi & Patrick (Los Angeles), Sorry For Your Loss (Cleveland), Broken Pencil (Fort Wayne), and 3 Star General (Dallas), alongside Columbus groups including Canvas, HERE: the (Improvised) Musical, Ope!, and Psychopomp.

Workshops

Eight workshops ran during the first weekend, priced from $20 to $90 and capped at 16 students, with instructors including Susan Messing, Patrick Rowland, Nnamdi Ngwe, Mary Carpenter, and Ryan Meyers & Ashley Rube of Touch Baseball. Each workshop included a Nestival show ticket.

Sources

• The Nestival: Official Website
• The Nest Theatre
• Columbus Underground: Local Comedy Spotlight: The Nestival