ImprovFestivals.orgZurich Improv Comedy Festival
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates | June 13-28, 2026 |
| Edition | 3rd annual |
| Location | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Language | English |
| Organizer | Close Encounters Theatre |
| Website | closeencounterstheatre.com |
| @zurichimprovfestival | |
| Close Encounters Theatre |
Overview
The Zurich Improv Comedy Festival is an English-language improv festival produced by Close Encounters Theatre, a Zurich-based performing arts academy founded in 2018 by Tara Brodin and Joanne Willmott. The festival launched in June 2024 as the first English-speaking improv festival in Zurich and has grown each year - from a single weekend in 2024 to two weekends in 2025 to a full two-week run in 2026. Each edition carries a themed decade: the 2025 edition was 50s-inspired ("Some Like It Hot") and the 2026 edition embraces a 1920s gothic theme ("Nosferatu").
Programming spans international and local improv shows, workshops with guest instructors, and themed social events. Past editions have drawn workshop leaders and performers from Canada, Israel, Italy, Greece, Austria, and the UK. Shows take place across multiple Zurich venues including ComedyHaus, CET Studio, Tanzhaus, and Ida Theatre, with tickets at CHF 20 per evening. The festival's mission is to celebrate improv and unite artists from across Switzerland and beyond.
Workshops
The 2026 edition features eight workshops covering stand-up, contact improv, clown and physical comedy, long form, improvised musical, sketch comedy writing, and more. Instructors include Sherri D. Sutton, Ettore Nicoletti, Georgia Paliogianni, Jim Libby, Kaisa Kokko Palmer, Jacob Banigan, and festival director Isabelle Valera.
Headliners
International shows in 2026 include Sherri D. Sutton's "Bless Your Heart & Pass the Trauma," Rocket Sugar Factory, Crocodile Paws (Kaisa Kokko Palmer & Sara Palmer), and Alexis Sakellaris' "A Stan Is Born!" (Best New Show 2025).
Sources
Use this site as a starting point, make sure to verify all important information like dates and locations on the official festival websites.
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