World Series of Comedy · IndianapolisStand up.Get booked.
The Wit Theater is the Indianapolis Live Satellite for The World Series of Comedy, North America's largest touring stand-up comedy festival and contest. Comics hit our stage in front of comedy club owners and bookers, competing for a shot at The Main Event in Las Vegas.
April 21–24, 2027The Wit Theater, 3808 Shelby St.
What is the WSOC?
A stand-up contest that's really a job fair.
The World Series of Comedy is a stand-up comedy event for comedians of all levels. It runs as a series of weeklong Live Satellite contests at comedy clubs across the country, then wraps up with a comedy festival in Las Vegas called The Main Event.
The Main Event brings together the Top 101 qualifying comedians, plus a full week of comedy seminars, social events and networking for comics, club managers and bookers. Founded by comedian Joe Lowers, the WSOC is part contest and part industry conference, and it's built to help comics make contacts and land more gigs.
How it works
From one video to the Vegas stage.
Comedy club owners and bookers serve as the judges, the instructors and the panelists. Here's the path through a season.
- 1Winter
Submit a video
Register and send in your set. Judges review the first five minutes, so lead with your stand-up, not an intro or interview.
- 2Feb – Jul
Play a Live Satellite
Forty comics perform at each Satellite. Performing live can raise your overall score, and you're seen by decision makers from the host club.
- 3Summer
Make the Top 101
Video scores plus any Satellite bonuses decide the Top 101 comics who compete at The Main Event.
- 4Sept 19–25, 2027
The Main Event
A week in Las Vegas of contest rounds, seminars, social events and the annual Meet & Greet with clubs from across North America.
The Indianapolis Satellite
Four nights of stand-up on Shelby Street.
From April 21–24, 2027, The Wit Theater hosts the Indianapolis stop of The World Series of Comedy. It's a rare chance to watch up-and-coming comics from all over the country go for broke in front of the people who book comedy clubs for a living.
Grab a seat, order a drink and some pizza, and see who's headed to Vegas.
Comics from across the country
The contestants are selected from hundreds of video submissions, so the talent on stage is already a cut above.
Judged by industry pros
Comedy club owners and bookers score every set, and the host club is watching for future headliners.
Food, drinks and an easy drive
Full food & drink menu, on-site parking and an IndyGo Red Line stop at the door.
What's on the line
The prize is paid work.
Because the festival doubles as a weeklong job fair for comedians and club management, the prizes for The Main Event winners are real bookings.
Weeks of paid gigs
The top finalists at The Main Event are awarded weeks of paid stand-up work at participating comedy clubs.
Face time with bookers
At the annual Meet & Greet, comics visit booths from comedy clubs across North America, share their info and talk about future work.
Seen, even without the win
Every Satellite set is watched by people who book comedy. Plenty of comics who don't take the title still walk away with work.
“Seeing the comics who didn’t win still end up getting work because they were seen or got to meet the right people.”
Joe Lowers, President & CEO, The World Series of Comedy, on the most gratifying part of the festival
Notable alumni
Where WSOC comics end up.
Former contestants have gone on to appear on The Tonight Show, Late Night, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Conan, Ellen, @midnight and more.
FAQ
World Series of Comedy questions.
When is the World Series of Comedy in Indianapolis?
The 2027 Indianapolis Live Satellite runs April 21–24, 2027 at The Wit Theater.
Where is the Indianapolis Satellite held?
At The Wit Theater, home of ComedySportz Indianapolis, 3808 Shelby St., Suite 1, Indianapolis, IN 46227. See directions and parking.
How do I get tickets to watch?
Tickets for the Indianapolis shows are sold through our box office. Show times and prices are posted there once on sale.
Who can enter the World Series of Comedy?
The WSOC is open to stand-up comedians of all levels. Register and submit a video at worldseriesofcomedy.com. Registration for the 2027 season is open now.
How are comics chosen for the Indianapolis Satellite?
A judging panel reviews every video submission. Forty comics are picked to perform at each Live Satellite, and Satellite performances can raise a comic's score toward the Top 101.
Where and when is The Main Event?
The 2027 Main Event is September 19–25, 2027 in Las Vegas, with the Top 101 comics competing alongside a week of seminars and networking events.
Where can I practice stand-up in Indianapolis?
Try out new material at our open mic night, or see what else is on our stand-up comedy calendar.
2027 season
Got five minutes?Make them count.
Comics, register for the 2027 season. Comedy fans, grab a seat for four nights of the country's hungriest stand-ups at The Wit Theater.