International
Improv
Festival

23-26.07.2026
Toruń becomes the world’s capital of improv for a week.
Join us and see for yourself!

Festival pass: 240 zł (reduced) · 260 zł (regular)

Artistic/Theatrical Image 2Artistic/Theatrical Image 3Artistic/Theatrical Image 1

The essentials for the JO! International Improv Festival are: improvisers, groups, projects, shows, workshops, afterparties and mixers. Our guests describe us as a must-visit summer festival, and the place to spend time together, learn and play.

Czwartek

23/07
Hive Mind – Kolektyw TERAZ
language Polish
drogi pamiętniczku – dziewczyny z dyskontu feat. klawisz
language Polish
Free Form Improv – mixer team directed by Will Luera
language English
The Heist – Silent Movie
language English

Piątek

24/07
The Biuro / Mockumentary – Improwizowane Poniedziałki
language Polish
Kiedyś to było – Klub Komediowy
language Polish
What We Improvise in the Shadows – mixer team directed by Kelly Agathos
language English
Human Algorithm – project directed by Nora McLeese
language English

Sobota

25/07
Impro Puppet Show – Wolne Elektrony + goście
language Polish
Pomiędzy – Impy
language Polish
What Remains – Gael Doorneweerd-Perry & Diego Ingold
language English
Here – project directed by Kelly Agathos
language English

Niedziela

26/07
Fun Fact + Żywe Muzeum Piernika – Spektakl z ekspertem
language Polish
Double Trouble – spontaniczne duety sceniczne
language English
Big Bang Improv Set – project directed by Will Luera
language English

Afterparties

The late-night programme takes place at Klub NRD (Browarna 4, Toruń). Wednesday's improjam is the festival 'before'; the rest are the nightly afterparties.

22.07Wednesday20:00

improjam

host: Alan Szymula

As every year, the festival opens with a 'before' in the shape of an improjam. Come along, drop your name into the bowl of destiny, let yourself be drawn, and jump into the short-form improv led this year by the wonderful Alan Szymula!

23.07Thursday23:00

Impro LED Riot

host: Iwo Wieczorek

What happens when a machine decides how the show unfolds? 🎰 IMPRO LED RIOT is a performance in the classic style… without a script. IMPRO. TWIST? Two huge wheels spin on the LED wall, a drum selects the improvisers, and one big button oversees it all: RIOT! The wheel decides — a scene? voice-overs? a lecture? or perhaps a full-blown game show? No plan C. No retakes. Whatever comes up — that's what we play. 🎭 The same show will never happen again, because the wheel never spins the same way twice. 💛

24.07Friday23:00

Hyde Park

host: Reszort

Hyde Park is the JO! festival's small stage. Every year it hosts short sets by improvisers who are about to take the impro scene by storm! Come and watch legends being born! (and Jerzyk Wierzbicki)

25.07Saturday23:00

Impro Music Jam

host: Rysiu

Sung improv backed by a live band put together by Rysiu — need a rock backing? jazz? blues? niche Scandinavian ambient? None of it fazes them, so get up on stage and focus on giving your lyrics a leg to stand on... or at least a few fingers!

26.07Sundayno set start time

Festival farewell chill afterparty

Time for packing, reminiscing, and waiting for trains, cars, planes... The festival is already over, but let's linger in it a few minutes more... until NRD closes. And before that, of course, we can already book our room for next year...

Workshops in Polish

Workshop registration
trainer_photo_Dobrosława Bela, Joanna Jóskowiak_Pocałuj mnie w… (warsztat scen intymnych)
Pocałuj mnie w… (warsztat scen intymnych)Dobrosława Bela, Joanna Jóskowiak

Saturday 25.07, Sunday 26.07
12:00-17:00, 10:00-15:00

trainer_photo_Will Luera_Free-Form Improv: Momentum, Group Mind, and Discovery
Free-Form Improv: Momentum, Group Mind, and DiscoveryWill Luera

Wednesday 22.07, Thursday 23.07
10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00

trainer_photo_Kelly Agathos_What We Improvise in the Shadows
What We Improvise in the ShadowsKelly Agathos

Wednesday 22.07, Thursday 23.07
10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00

trainer_photo_Gael Doorneweerd-Perry_Chekhov’s Gunning: Meaning in the Details
Chekhov’s Gunning: Meaning in the DetailsGael Doorneweerd-Perry

Friday 24.07
10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00

trainer_photo_Liron Barre_Lecoq’s 7 Levels of Tension: The Body Between Extremes
Lecoq’s 7 Levels of Tension: The Body Between ExtremesLiron Barre

Friday 24.07
10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00

trainer_photo_Tanine Dunais_Iranian Telenovela (Film Farsi)
Iranian Telenovela (Film Farsi)Tanine Dunais

Friday 24.07
10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00

trainer_photo_Diego Ingold_How much do we love each other on stage?
How much do we love each other on stage?Diego Ingold

Friday 24.07
10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00

trainer_photo_Will Luera_Emotion = Relationship = Game
Emotion = Relationship = GameWill Luera

Saturday 25.07
10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00

trainer_photo_Nora McLeese_The Kids are Alright
The Kids are AlrightNora McLeese

Saturday 25.07
10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00

trainer_photo_Gael Doorneweerd-Perry_Action Mime
Action MimeGael Doorneweerd-Perry

Saturday 25.07
10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00

trainer_photo_Liron Barre_Intimacy of Silence
Intimacy of SilenceLiron Barre

Saturday 25.07
10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00

trainer_photo_Jenny Hasenack_The Drama Triangle
The Drama TriangleJenny Hasenack

Saturday 25.07
10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00

trainer_photo_Kelly Agathos_Split Screens and Funky Scenes
Split Screens and Funky ScenesKelly Agathos

Sunday 26.07
10:00-13:00

trainer_photo_Nora McLeese_Hosting with Confidence
Hosting with ConfidenceNora McLeese

Sunday 26.07
10:00-13:00

trainer_photo_Diego Ingold_Pantomime in Impro
Pantomime in ImproDiego Ingold

Sunday 26.07
10:00-13:00

How to get to the festival?

Airports

While there is no airport in Toruń, there are 2 airports nearby:

  • Warsaw Chopin Airport

    - this one’s the biggest, traveling to Toruń from there takes about 3,5 hours: take an SKM train from the Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina station to Warszawa Zachodnia station . From there, take a train to Toruń Główny

  • Bydgoszcz Ignacy Jan Paderewski Airport

    - getting to Toruń takes about an 1,5 h: take the bus from the Port Lotniczy (Airport) stop to the Dworzec Główny stop. From there take a train to Toruń Główny ( or if preferably - Toruń Miasto ).

Trains

You can plan your travel across cities on PKP intercity

Stations closest to our festival are Toruń Miasto and Toruń Główny .

Traveling within the city

Plan your journeys within Toruń using the app jakdojade.pl You can buy tickets in the nearby kiosk, or via moBILET app , rarely in the bus. The closest bus stops to our festival are Plac Rapackiego and Aleja Solidarności

You can also try renting out a city bike for the weekend!

Or order a taxi from few taxi companies, like:

Bolt also operates in Toruń.

Map

mapa

FAQ

Yes! As long as you are sure that your pet will be friendly towards both human and animal participants. All locations of our event are pet-friendly.
We make every effort to make JO! a festival for everyone, but we are organizing the Festival in a historic building. If you have difficulty moving - contact us by e-mail or on Facebook, we will make sure that we know how to take care of you. In case any other needs write about them as well! We will find a way to have fun together.
Yes! Hyde Park is our open small stage for short sets by improvisers (in 2026 it runs on Friday 24.07 at the Klub NRD afterparty). Sign-ups happen before the festival – we announce the current form and deadlines on our Facebook (facebook.com/festivalJO). Got another performance idea? Email festiwal.jo@gmail.com.
We recommend choosing a hostel or Airbnb in the Old Town of Toruń. During the festival, the nearest hotels might be full, but all accommodations within the old city will be a convenient solution.
A few days before the workshops we will announce a full schedule with locations. Additionally, on the eve of the workshops, we send out reminders to the email addresses used to purchase the workshops. If you still have doubts - drop by the Artus Court a quarter-hour before the workshops - workshop information will be displayed on one of the screens in the building's hall. Most festival locations are near the Artus Court; some workshops take place at the Kulturalny Hub in the Bydgoskie Przedmieście district (ul. Bydgoska 50).
Every Main Stage evening is split into two parts, 1,5-2 hours each. First part – shows in Polish. Second part – English all through. In addition, we encourage you to stay for the Polish shows - improv is primarily an art of expression, emotion, and physicality, and to a lesser extent also of words. Besides the Main Stage, performances for children as part of Little JO-JO and the late-night events at Klub NRD are held in Polish.
Of course! You can find our current workshop offer in both Polish and English here: https://artus.torun.pl/events/jo-2026-workshop/
Yes, a play corner will be set up for the youngest festival participants during the performances, and Little Jo-Jo, i.e., performances for children during the festival weekend.
Yes, merchandise will be available at the festival office on the first floor.
The festival takes place in the Old Town of Toruń, which is a cultural and gastronomic center, and everyone will find something for themselves here. However, if you need to eat something really quickly, we recommend Jasmin Kebab, Rolki, Pan Pretzel, or a casserole from Bartkowskis.
Karrotka, Ciasna, a bit further away Chwast-Prast. Vegetarian options are also available at Monka, Rolki, Jasmin Kebab, and many other restaurants in the area.
No, it's better to get the necessary things in advance.
Yes! The late-night programme runs at Klub NRD (Browarna 4). Wednesday brings the festival 'before' – an improjam – and then a nightly afterparty after the shows: Impro LED Riot (Thu), Hyde Park (Fri) and Impro Music Jam (Sat). See the Afterparties section for details.
Yes, definitely! Volunteer recruitment runs before the festival – we announce the current form and deadlines on our Facebook (facebook.com/festivalJO). We're looking for people who communicate well in English and want to help run the festival, stage tech included! Questions? Write to marta.ryhanycz@artus.torun.pl
Come rested and with an open mind, bring a notebook, water, and a good attitude :)
Yes, write a PM on our Facebook fanpage or an email to marta.ryhanycz@artus.torun.pl with “Invoice” in the subject line.
The ticket office does not provide refunds for events that take place as scheduled.