NZ Improv Festival 2026
October 2 - October 10
The New Zealand Improv Festival is back for 2026 with seven days of improvisational talent! Get amongst it as some of the finest improvisers from around the motu and beyond, come together to create bold, bright and brilliant scenes inspired by New Zealand stories.
NZIF OPENING NIGHT
2 October
NZ Improv Festival
Come celebrate the opening night of NZIF 2026 with a celebration of Aotearoa, New Zealand through improv!
Get amongst it as some of the finest improvisers from around the motu and beyond, come together to create bold, bright and brilliant scenes inspired by New Zealand stories.
Youth Showcase
2 - 3 October
NZ Improv Festival
The next generation of improvisers have arrived and they are ready to put on a show! Come along to the Youth Showcase to see the amazing participants of the NZIF Youth Program hit the stage.
Swaprox
2 October
Poprox
In the age of Tik Tok and Instagram Reels, our average attention span has maxed out at seven minutes, so PopRox have created the ultimate modern day improvised comedy! Every seven minutes PopRox’s multi-award winning cast of comedians, skilled musicians and even the tech operator will swap roles and chaos will ensue…
Pick a Pickstar
3 October
Best on Tap
Your suggestions spark a colourful cast of characters (bugs, toys, emotions, fish - wait, those are done!) revealing a brand-new secret world in this delightful show!
Sock it to 'em
3 October
Kipling DC
Do you like Improv? Do you like Sock Puppets? BAM! Then this is the show for you!
NZ’s best comedy improvisers take on improv’s hardest challenge - Chicago-style improv BUT with sock puppets.
Death by Powerpoint
6 October
Geoff Simmons
Inspire. Perspire. Expire. Powerpoint has plagued us all for decades now. It’s time to get your revenge…
Watch brave improvisers spin complete surprise slide decks into “uplifting” motivational speeches*. Prepare to be moved, entertained and mildly traumatized by the chaos.
*Or die trying…
¿Cuándo fue la última vez que hiciste algo por primera vez?
6 October
Marandí arte escénico
Esta obra presentará el camino de algunos personajes en sus vínculos afectivos y nos hará testigos de el momento decisivo en sus vidas en el que decidirán si se atreverán a hacer algo por primera vez.
15 Minutes to Change the World
6 - 8 October
NZ Improv Festival
Improvisers from across the festival come together given one simple task…they have 15 minutes to change the world.
Bloom
7 October
Andrea Ferpo
An all-female cast of improvisers, along with a director and psychodrama therapist, will transform the theater into a “resonance box” that will share and blend emotions between the performers and the audience, creating stories inspired by our female ancestors and the legacy they have left in our lives.
Class of '86
7 October
Class of 1986
Grab your hairspray and letterman jacket, it’s time for Class of ’86: The Prom!
Step into a neon-soaked, all-American high school where a cast of improvisers creates an unscripted 80s comedy packed with love triangles, gossip, heartbreak, big hair and big laughs.
Open Mic Night
8 October
Hannah Taylor and Jessica Charlotte
Welcome to Open Mic Night, a show inspired by cosy singer-songwriter evenings, but every song is made up on the spot!
Expect unforgettable characters, catchy choruses, spontaneous harmonies, and the joyful chaos that improvised musical comedy brings.
The Hygge Show
8 October
Inconspicuous Comedy
Hygge is a Danish idea with no direct translation. Comfort, warmth and a good evening with people you like is the closest comparison.
The Hygge Show is an improvised comedy show built from your stories and ours, made with that same feeling.
Everyone Be a Tree
9 October
Sarah McGillion
A whole stage, alive! Without hesitation the cast flocks to the stage building worlds around each scene by creating objects, emotions, crowds, movement, and of course the occasional overly committed tree.
Kōrero Paki
9 October
Kōrero Paki
Crack open a cold one and get set for a night of mean kōrero and wild comedy from Kōrero Paki!
Sharing their unique Māori and Pasifika blended styles of comedy, stories and experiences through the passion of fast and fearless improv.
Big Orb Improv
9 October
Pig Alien Productions
The Big Orb sees all. The Big Orb sees everything.
The Big Orb sees five improvisors making up three stories from your suggestions.
The Big Orb sees these stories weaving through each other and intertwining in a really impressive and cool way.
Ghoul Rush
9 October
Bull Rush
Taking classic horror tropes and flipping them on their head for a wild and hilarious romp. With the help of live suggestions from the audience, the ensemble of improvisers will build a brand-new story each night, set to thrill and delight.
Who Knows
10 October
Wiremu Tuhiwai
Join our adventurers lead by Game Master Wiremu Tuhiwai as you are dropped into an improvised adventure in the middle of time and space.
Hot Pursuit
10 October
Vincent Andrew Scammel and Criss Gueber
It’s the late 80s, crime is rampant, and only Detective Reynolds and Sergent Thompson can navigate neon-lit alleys to save the city in a RACE AGAINST TIME.
Slagbags
10 October
Mamaeroa (Mo) Munn
Who says we have to be nice? Slagbags is nasty woman improv for people who like their comedy filthy, chaotic and a little bit feral.
NZ vs The World
10 October
NZ Improv Festival
We celebrate the end of NZIF 2026 with a long-held tradition…NZ vs the World! We pit some of the nations best against some incredible internaitonal talent to determine once and for all whether Aotearoa is best darn improv nation on the planet!
