Submit to perform at TOsketchfest
Each March, TOsketchfest brings together outstanding scripted comedy from Toronto, across Canada and beyond for more than 12 hilarious days of live performance.
Most festival performances are presented as double bills, with two acts performing approximately 30 minutes each. We primarily present sketch comedy, including ensemble sketch, solo sketch, musical comedy and other forms of scripted comedy created for live performance.
Submissions are reviewed by an independent programming committee. Some additional festival programming is curated directly by TOsketchfest.
Submissions open: September 1, 2026
Submission deadline: October 15, 2026, 9:00pm Eastern
Application fee: $45 plus tax for a total of $50.85 CAD
Selection notifications: Expected in mid-December
Festival dates: March 3-14, 2027
Applications are submitted through Zone Festival.
Before beginning your application, we recommend gathering your act information, contact details and a video that represents the work you would bring to the festival.
Need help with the application platform? Read our guide to applying through Zone Festival, including a preview of the application questions.
Submissions Tips + Tricks
Video: While you can submit links to separate videos if you don’t have them edited together, and tell us what time stamps to watch, the best practice is to edit the sketches into one video, in the order you want them to be watched. Put your best sketches first! (Do not send a sizzle-reel of blow lines or material that is extra heavily edited).
Troupe/Act Image: Let us see your faces! We love to see pictures from a group photoshoot and candid pictures of you on stage. Include photo credits, even if that credit is yourself!
Show Description vs. Troupe Bio: Put yourself in the shoes of an audience member. What can they expect from you? What information does someone need to know when deciding what show is the right fit for them? The Show Description should be about the specific performance they would see at TOsketchfest and why they might choose your show. The Troupe Bio is where you can talk about performance credits as a group, and individually and/or about your or your troupes approach to writing and performing, in general.
Webinar: Learn more about what makes a great comedy festival submission by watching this FREE on-demand webinar with both TOsketchfest and Montréal Sketchfest producers. Click here to access that session on demand!
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally speaking, sketch comedy is any funny performance that is written, rehearsed and performed by a cast of comedians. It’s like Saturday Night Live, Baroness von Sketch Show, Key & Peele, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, or Tallboyz. But sketch can also be solo character work, or musical comedy, clown, drag, or hilarious things that defy categorization.
If your work is scripted, rehearsed and created for live performance, we would love to hear about it.
Not sure whether your act qualifies? Email Virginia at virginia@torontosketchfest.com before submitting.
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No! Your material should be new to TOsketchfest, but it does not need to be newly created. Submit polished, well-rehearsed material that is ready for its big festival moment.
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Whenever possible, submit footage featuring the same performers who would appear together at the festival. The material does not need to be the exact set you would perform, but the programming committee needs to be able to envision what your act would look and feel like onstage.
We strongly encourage you to find even five minutes of stage time before the deadline and record the proposed act together. The recording does not need to be professionally produced. Clear footage captured on a phone is more useful than polished footage featuring a different lineup.
The committee has considered submissions using footage from separate performances or different group configurations. However, it is much harder to evaluate the chemistry, style and overall potential of the proposed act this way, and acts are rarely selected based on alternate footage. The more closely your video matches the act described in your application, the stronger your submission will be.
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Yes. You may submit more than one act, but each act requires a separate application and submission fee.
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Submission fees help cover the significant time and resources required to review every application thoughtfully. They also help TOsketchfest provide opportunities and benefits to all applicants, whether or not they are selected.
If your act is selected:
- Your festival performances will be supported by TOsketchfest’s publicity and marketing campaign.
- You will receive free or affordable access to professional development workshops and panels through our Learning + Fun Series.
- You will have opportunities to connect with industry professionals, who are also invited to attend festival performances.
- Your act will receive a ticket package so participating members can see other shows during the festival.
If your act is not selected:
- Your troupe will receive a ticket package equal or greater than the value of the submission fee.
- You will have affordable access to select workshops and panels in our Learning + Fun Series
If the submission fee is a barrier to applying, please contact Virginia at virginia@torontosketchfest.com. We want to make the application process as accessible as possible.
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Festival Series
The vast majority of TOsketchfest programming comes to us via our public submissions process. This programming makes up our Festival Series. Compensation is guaranteed and scaled based on geographic origin as follows:
Visiting troupes are typically programmed for two (2) 30-minute performance slots within the Festival Series, subject to scheduling and programming considerations, and are compensated at a higher rate to help offset travel and accommodation costs. A visiting troupe is defined as one created outside of the Greater Toronto Area, with the majority of troupe members travelling 200 km or more to participate in the festival.
Visiting Troupe Payment Scale (Festival Series): $250 CAD per 30-minute performance
Local troupes make up the majority of the festival’s programming and are integral to the TOsketchfest community. For many local artists, the festival functions as a showcase opportunity to prepare and present a longer set within a curated festival environment. Local troupes often use this opportunity to invite industry professionals such as producers, programmers, and agents to attend their performance. A local troupe is defined as based in the Greater Toronto Area and most members will travel less than 200 km to participate in the festival
Local Troupe Payment Scale (Festival Series): $156 CAD per 30-minute performance
Opening Night Gala and Best of Fest
Performances included in the Opening Night Gala and Best of Fest showcases range from 5 to 15 minutes and receive a flat performance fee of $100 CAD per performance
Featured Series
A small number of acts that make up the TOsketchfest programme are actively curated and billed as the Featured Series. These are seasoned acts with a proven track record of excellence and box office draw. All Featured Series acts perform a 70min show and receive a 50% split of net sales.
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