Big Scene Improv Festival
Big Scene Improv Festival is a five-day international improv festival held in Southwark, London, created and curated by The Free Association. The inaugural 2026 edition runs across two venues in Old Union Yard, The Free Association (105 seats) and the Union Theatre (90 seats), with more than 25 shows, workshops, and headline acts. The festival draws performers from the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, and across the United Kingdom.
History
The festival launched in May 2026 as the first international improv festival of its scale in London, organized by The Free Association, which had opened the United Kingdom's first purpose-built improv theatre in 2025. The Free Association, founded by Graham Dickson, has trained thousands of students and produced dozens of original shows over more than a decade.
Significance
Big Scene Improv Festival is London's first international improv festival of its scale, bringing together performers from North America, Europe, and Australia to a dedicated improv venue in the United Kingdom.
Need current dates or submissions? This is a historical archive. Visit improvfestivals.org for live festival listings.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Big Scene Improv Festival. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/festivals/big-scene-improv-festival
The Improv Archive. "Big Scene Improv Festival." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/festivals/big-scene-improv-festival.
The Improv Archive. "Big Scene Improv Festival." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/festivals/big-scene-improv-festival. Accessed September 21, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.