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DC Sketchfest 2027 Application

March 31–April 3, 2027 — venue to be announced

Washington, DC’s 4th Annual Sketch Comedy Festival

Instructions

Apply now to perform at DC Sketchfest! Please note: DC Sketchfest is dedicated to sketch comedy only—improv and stand-up acts will not be considered, and application fees are non-refundable. After submitting your form, you’ll be prompted to pay the DC Sketchfest application fee. Applications are incomplete without payment.

Important: All sales are final. Payment does not guarantee acceptance into the festival.

Deadlines

Early Application ($25) – October 20 to November 1.

Standard Application ($30) – November 1 to November 29.

Late Application ($40) – November 30 to December 13.

Applications close December 13, 11:59 PM ET.

Location

All shows are in Washington, DC. Venue to be announced.

Questions

Read our FAQs or email admin@dcsketchfest.com.

Notification: All applicants will be contacted mid-January 2027.

Your team

This will be used to promote shows.

How many festival badges will you need?

This will be used to promote shows. JPG, PNG or HEIC, up to 10 MB — large photos are shrunk in your browser before uploading.

Drop a photo here or click to browse

Point of contact

Where we send your receipt and your decision.

Your show

Paste a link to your tape — a YouTube or Vimeo link is strongly preferred.

Submission guidelines for your tape
  • Tape length: submit a 15–20-minute video. Shorter submissions, such as a 5- or 10-minute tape, won’t provide enough material for our judges to score accurately. Material beyond 20 minutes will not be watched.
  • Content order: include your best material first and prioritize LIVE performance footage. Digital shorts (filmed content) are discouraged unless they strongly reflect your live show style.
  • Video format: to avoid playback and permission issues, we strongly recommend submitting a YouTube or Vimeo link instead of using file-sharing sites like Google Drive or Dropbox. If you have multiple videos, please edit them into a single video before submitting.
  • Judging process: your submission will be evaluated by a randomly assigned panel in the first round. Tailor your material for an audience unfamiliar with your previous work.

Email admin@dcsketchfest.com if you have additional questions.

What is your show about? Style of humor, format, etc.

Select all show dates you are available to perform *

The more days you select, the better your chance of being placed in the festival. Each team is given 25 minutes; there are typically two to three teams per show. All shows are at night.

Tech
Which of these best describes the tech requirements of your show? *

Tech time at the venue is limited, so this is what we plan each show’s cueing and running order around. Blackouts do not count towards your cues.

Microphone, projector, presentation remote, etc. You can modify this later.

Tables, chairs, stage blocks, etc. If accepted, you can modify this later.

Optional

Neither of these is required — answer as much or as little as you like.

Do any members of your team identify as:
Application fee

Already started an application?

Having issues submitting this form? Email admin@dcsketchfest.com.