(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- ComedySportz Jersey Shore will host the 2026 ComedySportz World Championship at the Palaia Theater at the Jersey Shore Arts Center, bringing competitors from 24 cities across the country to Monmouth County for four days of fast-paced, family-friendly competition. The championship runs June 24–27, with the final match on Saturday, June 27, 2026 at 7:30pm. This year marks the 37th ComedySportz World Championship since the league was founded in Milwaukee by Dick Chudnow in 1984.
Competing teams will travel from Boston, San Antonio, New York City, Richmond, Las Vegas, Houston, Portland, Cincinnati, Chicago, Philadelphia, Austin, St. Louis, Seattle, San Jose, Indianapolis, Buffalo, and more for 11 official matches. All championship matches are open to the public, with presale tickets available for purchase online� and low-cost rush tickets available at the door.
The home team, the Jersey Shore Things, opens the championship on Wednesday, June 24th at 6:00pm against the Indianapolis Circle City Slammers, the 2025 World Championship finalists. The Jersey Shore Things take the field again on Friday, June 26th at 9:00pm to face the Buffalo Snow Patrol.
The championship weekend also includes The Queer Show, a specialty performance celebrating LGBTQ-IA performers, on Thursday, June 25th at 11:00pm at Paradise Nightclub in Asbury Park, a 21+ event with proceeds benefiting the Trans Equity Coalition.
The championship represents a significant milestone for Shore Thing Theater, the Neptune-based nonprofit that launched ComedySportz Jersey Shore in 2019. Ria Torricelli, Creative Director of Shore Thing Theater and President of ComedySportz Worldwide, will oversee the event.
"We're thrilled to bring the 2026 ComedySportz World Championship to the Jersey Shore," said Torricelli. "With performers arriving from cities across our league, audiences can expect four days of incredible comedy. We can't wait to show them everything the Shore has to offer."
Beyond the competition, the championship will bring approximately 200 visiting performers and participants to the area for professional development workshops and intensives led by instructors from across the country. Attendees will also take part in local outings designed to support Jersey Shore businesses and explore the region's history and culture.
What to Expect
* Live improv battles between Red and Blue teams, fueled by audience suggestions
* Wednesday through Friday, three matches per night at 6:00pm, 7:30pm, and 9:00pm, each approximately one hour long
* Saturday at 6:00pm: a special All-Star Match featuring players from across the league
* Saturday at 7:30pm: the Championship Match, a full 90-minute showdown with halftime as the final two teams compete for the ComedySportz World Championship title
Shore Thing Theater is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Neptune, NJ, and the home of ComedySportz Jersey Shore. Its mission is to provide high-quality, live entertainment and arts education in a safe environment, at an affordable cost, for the diverse communities of the Jersey Shore. Shore Thing Theater offers improv classes at multiple levels as well as workshops in sketch writing, storytelling, stand-up, and poetry. No student is ever turned away from a class for inability to pay. Scholarships, payment plans, and sliding scale tuition are available to anyone in need. ComedySportz Jersey Shore performs every Saturday night at 7:00pm in the Herbst Theater inside the Jersey Shore Arts Center.
