Every Comedy Festival With Open Submissions in May

We combed the internet for comedy festivals that have open submissions during the month of May so you don't have to! We have improv, stand-up, sketch and more covered below! Just click the names of the festivals to follow their link! We'll be updating throughout the month as new info comes in so be sure to check back!

Stand-Up

Loons on the Lake Comedy Festival (Minneapolis) - Deadline May 1st, submit soon (June 4-7)

Sac Town Comedy Get Down (Sacramento, CA) - Deadline May 1st (show dates Aug. 7-9)

Burbank Comedy Festival - Deadline May 1st (show dates Aug. 9-16)

Comedy Chateau International Comedy Festival (Hollywood) - Deadline May 15th (show dates June 21-28)

Punx Can't Laugh Fest (Toronto) - Deadline May 16th (show dates Oct. 17-19)

Lookout Comedy Festival (Chattanooga, TN) - Early Bird ends May 31st, overall July 31st (show dates )

Laugh Out Loveland Comedy Festival (Loveland, CO) - Deadline May 31st (show dates July 31-Aug. 3)

Killeen Comedy Festival (Killeen, TX) - Regular fee ends June 30th, overall July 15th (show dates Aug. 28-31)

Big Diamond Comedy Festival (Bentonville, AR) - Deadline May 31st (show dates Oct. 2-4)

San Francisco Comedy Competition - Deadline June 1st (show dates in September)

Colorado Queer Comedy Festival - Deadline June 1st (show Oct. 2-4)

Seattle International Comedy Competition - Deadline June 1st (show dates in November)

Asheville Comedy Festival - Deadline June 14h (show dates July 31-Aug. 2 & Aug. 7-9)

Mountain Fresh Comedy Festival (Breckenridge, CO) - Deadline June 15th (show dates Oct. 9-11)

Fountain City Comedy Festival (Kansas City, MO) - Deadline June 15th (show dates Oct. 23-25)

Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest (NYC) - Deadline June 19th (show dates Feb. 26 - Mar. 1)

Oakland Comedy Festival - Deadline June 30th (show dates in October)

Colorado Queer Comedy Festival (Boulder) - Deadline June 30th (show dates Oct. 2-4)

10,000 Laughs Comedy Festival (Minneapolis) - Deadline June 30th (show dates Oct. 23-25)

Funny Is Female (Oak Park, IL) - Regular fee ends June 30th, overall Aug. 1st (show dates Oct. 23-26)

Crooked Mouth Comedy Festival (Endicott, NY) - Opening May 15th, deadline July 15th (show dates Oct. 16-19)

World Series of Comedy (Various cities) - Main Event deadline Aug. 18th (Main Event show dates Sept. 21-27)

Hubcap Comedy Festival (New Brunswick, Canada) - Deadline Aug. 31st (show dates in January)

Stand-Up/Film

Laugh After Dark Comedy Festival (Las Vegas) - Cheaper fee ends June 15th, overall June 30th (show dates Oct. 27-29)

Stand-Up/Digital Shorts

Bend Comedy Festival (Bend, OR) - Deadline May 15th (show dates Labor Day Weekend)

Video Sketch/Feature, Short, & Animated Film/Pilot/Web Series/Music Video

LA Comedy Film Festival - Deadline July 19th (show dates Sept. 5-15)

Short Film/Pilot/Web Series/Podcast/Micro-Episodes

NYC Web Fest - Cheaper fee due June 15th, overall July 31st (show dates Oct. 3-5)

Short Film

Funny Under Fifteen Minutes (Hamilton, NY) overall Feb. 8, 2026 (show dates Mar. 13-15, 2026)

Knox Comedy Film Festival (Knoxville) Deadline May 31st (show date Aug. 2nd)

Short Film/Animation

Short Com International Comedy Film & Animation Festival (UK) - Regular deadline May 9th, overall Aug. 11 (show dates September 26-October 5)

Sketch

Denver Sketch Festival - Early Bird ends May 31st, overall July 19th (show dates Oct. 9-11)

Stand-up/Improv/Sketch/Short Film

Portland Maine Comedy Festival - overall May 9th (show dates July 17-20)

Stand-Up/Improv/Sketch/Variety

Flyover Comedy Festival (St. Louis) - Deadline May 31st (show dates Oct. 16-19)

Nottingham Comedy Festival - Deadline June 30th (show dates Oct. 31 - Nov. 9th)

Fringe

Greater Manchester Fringe Festival (England) - Brochure deadline May 1st, overall June 1st (show dates July 1-31)

Stand-Up/Improv

Rise Comedy Festival (Denver, CO) - Deadline June 1st (stand-up show dates July 25&26, improv show dates July 31-Aug. 2)

Musical Improv

Bay Area Musical Improv - Deadline June 1st (show dates Oct. 23-26)

Improv

Improv Fest Ireland - Deadline May 22nd (Belfast shows Nov. 7-10, Dublin shows Nov. 12-15th)

Secret City Improv Festival (Oak Ridge, TN) - Deadline June 15th (show dates Oct. 2-5

Not Festivals, But Cool

All the Laughs Comedy Awards (ATL) - Cheaper Fee ends June 1st, overall Aug. 1st (show dates Sept. 26-28)

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