The Improv Theatre Sydney (ITS) annual flagship event, the ITS Comedy Festival 2025, is set to light up the stage from November 9th to November 16th, 2025. Building on our reputation as Sydney’s essential showcase for spontaneous and innovative comedy, the festival promises eight days packed with 30+ shows and 14 workshops featuring local legends and international guests.

For our 11th annual festival, we’re celebrating the next generation of comedy while honouring the trailblazers who built the Sydney improv scene. Expect a dynamic mix of long-form improvised narratives, high-octane sketch revues, and raucous stand-up showcases.

Festival Highlights Include:

• The ITS Smackdown Grand Finale: Taking place at the newly reopened Eternity Playhouse in Darlinghurst, ITS Smackdown is the culmination of the theatre’s annual improv competition, where teams battle for the audiences favour.
• ITS Senior Debating Championship: High school debating at its bloodiest. In a head to head battle of the wits, two teams of brilliant minds will debate a topic decided by the audience. Blood will be shed, names will be called, and the very fabric of Improv Theatre Sydney will be torn asunder.
• Behind Bars Musical Improv: Lights? Overrated. Costumes? Too much laundry. Sets? Who has the budget? Enter BAT, the completely improvised musical performed in total darkness by the delightfully unhinged minds of Behind Bars. With no lights to hide behind, every note, word, and awkward silence counts. It’s weird, it’s risky, it’s dark (literally), and it might just be the best thing you (n)ever see.
• World-Class Workshops: Alongside the shows, the festival will host a series of workshops taught by international and local masters of the craft, offering participants the chance to develop skills in improvisation, writing, and stage presence.

Dates: November 9 – 16, 2025

Price: from $10.00

Venue: Improv Theatre Sydney, 44-54 Botany Rd, Redfern NSW

About Improv Theatre Sydney (ITS): Founded in 2014, Improv Theatre Sydney is the first and only dedicated improv theatre in Sydney, based in Redfern. ITS is a world-class training school and a performance hub, championing a creative, inclusive, and world-class approach to improvised comedy, stand-up, and sketch. Its alumni can be found across major Australian media and international comedy festivals.