Full Festival Schedule Below
“America’s Funnyman” Neil Hamburger has worked every imaginable stage, fromNew York’s Madison Square Garden, to a show in a gorilla cage in an abandoned Catskills zoo. He has performed countless American, Australian, British, Irish, and Canadian tours, as well as in Norway, New Zealand, and the Bahamas, alongside acts ranging from Faith No More to Robin Williams. Neil Hamburger was the subject of the 2015 movie Entertainment, co-starring John C. Reilly and Michael Cera.
The Sloppy Boys are a “party rock” band from LA consisting of comedians Mike Hanford, Jeff Dutton and Tim Kalpakis. Prior to forming The Sloppy Boys, all three were writer-performers on the sketch comedy show “The Birthday Boys,” produced by Bob Odenkirk, which aired on IFC.
Join Chris Kattan ("SNL", Night at the Roxbury"), Andy Bolduc & Joey Nuñez on a comedy variety show where each week Kattan invites his funniest friends to catch up on old times and hear about the new stuff too (if we have to). Then, our trio ropes their guest into an outrageous scenario where they have to improvise their way out! Will they spin comedy gold or will it just be more... Idiotically Speaking?
3Peat is a critically acclaimed group of improv/sketch/standup artists who met while performing and teaching at iO and Second City in Chicago.
They have gone on to work on a number of different projects like The Blackening, South Side, The Amber Ruffin Show, The Late Show, The Upshaws, Comedy Central, Tab Time, and much more.
In 2 Square, John Lutz and Peter Grosz take a single suggestion then spin that into a 45 minute longform show featuring the kaleidoscope of scenes, absurdist transitional elements and callbacks - all while never once using a “sweep edit” to get from scene to scene. They play dozens of characters, create environments and locations using every part of the theater and weave it all together in a satisfying conclusion.
An hour of fast-paced sketch comedy from a New York favorite. Simple Town has performed their hour for sold-out crowds in New York, Los Angeles, London, and more. Now they are coming back to Chicago with their newest and their best. Simple Town's videos have appeared on Adult Swim, Comedy Central, Cracked, and NoBudge; their live show has been featured in the New York Comedy Festival, Netflix is a Joke Festival, and they will be doing a two-week run at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Four comedy warriors face off in challenges to avoid painful, humiliating, and ridiculous punishments! The bravest audience members may also volunteer (upon signing a waiver) to participate in some of the challenges to win honor or suffer punishment.
The legendary Bear Down Podcast returns for the first time in over a decade. The cult-favorite comedy show about all things Bears, football, and Chicago is coming back to its hometown and reuniting its original crew for an exclusive, one-night-only live taping at iO Fest. Don’t miss this rare homecoming episode with Matt Walsh (Veep, Manhunt), Scot Armstrong (Old School, Semi Pro), Brad Morris (Playing House, The Good Place), Joseph Nunez (Superbad, Prison Break) RJ Vanecko (Players, High Road), and Special Guests.
The Ladies Who Ranch are a group of comedians who care deeply about uplifting women's voices, particularly their own. As artists, they create comedy that acknowledges the tension between the sterile media conversation around womanhood and the vibrant, complicated inner lives of women who don’t quite fit the mold society has made for them.
The Improvised Shakespeare Company® proudly presents its critically-acclaimed, long-running hit show Improvised Shakespeare Chicago now in it’s 18th year!
Join us for an evening of off-the-ruff comedy featuring the language and themes of William Shakespeare. Inspired by one audience suggestion (a title for a play that has yet to be written) the dazzling players create a brand-new Shakespearean masterpiece right before your eyes. Nothing has been planned out, rehearsed, or written.
This summer, iO is thrilled to announce our second annual iO Fest! Four days of improv, sketch, music, and more along with specialty workshops in celebration of Chicago’s vibrant comedy scene. Special guests from iO’s talented roster of alumni will take the stage alongside a diverse array of today’s top comedic talents from all over the country.
iO Fest will be Chicago’s largest improv festival with over 120+ confirmed acts featuring……stay tuned.
This four day festival also includes specialty workshops offered by headliners and top comedic talent.
Headlining acts of past iO Fest’s included Meadows, Walsh and Friends, Afternoon Delight with Brendan Walsh, The Sloppy Boys, Sarah Sherman from Saturday Night Live, Jordan Klepper from The Daily Show, Tim Baltz from Righteous Gemstones, Chris Redd from Saturday Night Live, a live taping of Hello From The Magic Tavern, and performances by TJ Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi from Strangers with Candy and Veep. Last’
Don’t miss out- come witness a marathon of amazing comedic talent!
CHICAGO TRIBUNE – It’s called the Bentwood Comedy Festival for the chairs, and it’s by iO Theatre and some of the folks who invented improv.
CHICAGO READER – The iO Theater’s Bentwood Comedy Festival arrives with an abundance of talent
WBEZ CHICAGO – Momo and the Mayor (Live from Chicago’s iO Theater)
CHICAGO SUN TIMES – Tim Meadows profile ahead of his 2024 performance
BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO – Chicago’s Largest Improv Festival
Stay tuned for announcements regarding specialty workshops led by our headliners & other special guest instructors!
iO is a five minute walk from the North/Clybourn Red Line Stop and just two minutes off the 72 North Ave Bus Route. We offer no parking, but limited street parking and several pay-to-park lots are located within one block.
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