Programs

The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival’s mandate is to support the career development of Canadian comedic writer performers. Annually we present the work of over 250 writer-performers through our programs, offering artist training and professional development, and direct funding for comedy projects. Read on to explore our sketch comedy programs and opportunities!

The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, Annually in March

As Toronto’s longest-running comedy festival, and one of the most stable organizations dedicated to live comedy in Canada today, we offer a rare platform for comedic writer-performers – supporting artists from across Ontario, the country, and beyond through sustained, high-quality presentation and year-round development opportunities. Through TOsketchfest, we serve a wide-ranging community: emerging creators looking for their first professional stage, mid-career artists seeking growth, and audiences eager for bold, smart, and innovative comedic storytelling.

March 2025

162 submissions
72 acts, 78% Ontario, 22% Canada & USA
250+ artists
58 shows, 12 days, 3 venues
4,000+ audience members

Learn more about TOsketchfest

Submissions will open in October 2025 for the 21st annual TOsketchfest in March 2026.

Learning + Fun Series, online & in person in Toronto

The Learning + Fun Series is where comedy brains meet big ideas. It’s TOsketchfest’s way of supporting artists beyond the stage with year-round opportunities to learn, grow, and connect. Through workshops, panels, Q&As, and casual hangs, we bring creators together to sharpen their skills, share knowledge, and build community (with lots of laughs along the way).

It’s all part of our mission to celebrate and elevate the art of sketch comedy. Whether you’re writing your first sketch or producing your tenth show, Learning + Fun is here to spark inspiration, fuel collaboration, and help sketch artists thrive – because strong, funny voices deserve to be heard.

Have a workshop or panel topic you’d like to learn more about? Email virginia@torontosketchfest.com with your suggestion!

Check out The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival’s 2025 Learning + Fun Series.

Monthly Showcases, Toronto, year-round

Launched as a pilot in Fall 2024, now expanded year-round, these performances feature local sketch comedy artists outside of festival season. September to December 2024, we featured 24 acts. These events help artists build performance experience and capture strong submission videos.

These events will expand in 2025 with monthly performance opportunities from June – December.

Comedy Country, Eastern Ontario, May – October

Comedy Country, a special project of The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, is a rural comedy series that brings professional comedy to Prince Edward County and the surrounding region. Through partnerships with local venues, artists, and community organizations, Comedy Country creates opportunities for shared laughter, cultural connection, and community engagement with the comedic arts in under-served rural areas.

Since 2015, Comedy Country has presented stand-up, sketch, and improv performances throughout PEC, partnering with traditional performance venues such as The Regent Theatre, and Mount Tabor Playhouse; with County businesses like Rosehall Run, County Cider Company, and Hatch Gallery; and community spaces in Athol, Wellington, Bloomfield, and Picton. Our collaborative work with Cabin Fever Kayak and Black River Cottages won Comedy Country three Tourism Resiliency Awards (TIAO) in 2021 for our innovative approach to creating live arts experiences during the pandemic with Comedy on the River. We work with local collaborators including the PEC Arts Council, Baxter Arts Centre and other arts and tourism stakeholders to ensure programming aligns with community interests. Comedy Country supports County-based artists through professional development, performance bookings, and co-presentation opportunities. We offer County residents the unique opportunity to try comedy themselves through innovative community arts initiatives. Our work creating arts experiences in PEC won Comedy Country the PEC Business Excellence Award in 2024 for Cultural Enrichment & Contribution to the Arts.

Click here to learn more about Comedy Country

The County Comedy Project

The County Comedy Project is an eight week comedy boot camp developed by Comedy Country with the support of The Huff Family Fund and The County Foundation. Prince Edward County’s own comedy duo Short Attention Spa guides a group of adventurous newbies through the process of working towards their first live comedy show.

Click here to learn more about The County Comedy Project

MORE PROGRAMS

Here’s where you can find information on even more programs and projects that we undertake:

The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival