Apply for the 2026 Mobile Improv Comedy Carnival!
2026 Festival Submissions
Submission FAQs
When and where is the festival?
The 2026 Mobile Improv Comedy Carnival will take place on Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18, 2026, in downtown Mobile, Alabama.
How many and what kind of acts are you looking for?
The MICC is looking for improv comedy acts of all shapes, sizes and formats! Short-form, long-form, stories, games and gimmicks: if it’s based around “yes, and”, then we want it! One of our festival goals is to show Mobile audiences the depth and breadth of variety in the improv art form, so the more unique and entertaining your act, the better!
Just note that while we love stand-up, sketch, and dramatic improv, our festival this year is entirely focused only on improv comedy.
While we don’t have a fixed number, we expect that we will be able to accept somewhere between 10-20 acts for this festival. Special consideration will be given to applicants along the Gulf Coast, but we’d love to feature acts from all over the country, and even international acts! Just please note all performances will be in-person: recorded or streamed performances will not be an option.
How much is it to apply?
Our performer submissions do require a nominal fee. We know that sucks, but we’ve kept it as low as possible while still supporting our entirely non-profit festival. Take advantage of earlybird pricing to keep the application cost as low as possible!
- Earlybird (Sept. 1 –
Sept.Oct. 30): $15 - Regular (
Oct.Nov. 1 – Dec. 13): $25 - Late (Dec. 14 – Dec. 28): $35
When will I hear back?
After you apply, you should immediately receive a message on the site letting you know your application was submitted. If you don’t, or simply want to confirm the application was received, please email [email protected].
After the submission window closes (in late December 2025), submission judging will begin and response emails should go out in late January to mid-February. Whether or not your act is accepted, you should hear from us either way. If you haven’t received anything by mid-February, email [email protected] to check on your application status.
Will this be a paid performance?
Unfortunately, the short answer is no. We’re a first-year, non-profit festival in a non-metropolitan area, and a fully paid slate of acts just isn’t in the cards. However, do rest assured that after your application is sent in, there are no stage fees, processing fees, or any other non-optional costs for performing in the festival.
However, just because there isn’t cash doesn’t mean there’s no benefit to being in the festival! If your act is accepted, each of your performers will receive:
- a free weekend festival pass
- a performer registration/swag bag filled with unique souvenirs, local discounts, etc.
- access to festival-exclusive hotel block pricing
- invitations to after-parties (with free food)
- free snacks and beverages in the green room during the festival
- complimentary high fives from festival staff (on request)
We know it sucks not to get paid, but we’re working hard to make sure each and every performer has the best experience with our festival. If you have thoughts on how we can better do this, please let us know.
How long of a performance will I get?
At this time, we don’t entirely know how long performance slots will be, so if you apply, be sure that your troupe/act is comfortable performing any set length from 20 to 45 minutes. You will likely only have one performance during the festival (not counting jams, etc.), but we will be able to give far more details if/when your act is accepted. Rest assured you will have at least a month knowing exactly when your performance is, and how long it will need to be.
What kind of workshops do you want? Do I get paid for teaching those?
Workshop instructors will be paid for their workshops! We expect to be able to accept somewhere between 4 and 8 workshops for the 2026 festival. We will send more details if your workshop is selected, but generally, a fixed price for student admission will be set, and workshop instructors will be paid for each student that attends their workshop, with a minimum and maximum number of students allowed in each workshop.
As for what workshops we are looking for: nearly everything! We plan to offer completely free intro-to-improv workshops for the Mobile community during the festival, so we don’t need the Improv 101 Course, but besides that, any kind of workshop is fair game! We’d love to see a range of workshops offered, aimed at people anywhere from just starting out to seasoned veterans.
Who do I ask if I have more questions?
Have a question we haven’t covered? Awesome! Just e-mail [email protected]! You should get a response within 24 hours.
Early Bird Discount Extended!
Just to make applying as easy on everyone as possible, we’re extending our Early Bird application rate ($15) through October 30! Get that submission in while the gettin’s good!