Thinking of submitting for 2026?
Here’s what you should know about this year’s Seattle International Comedy Competition.
The format
Each year, SICC selects 32 comedians for the preliminary rounds. These are split into two weeks: a prelim week one and a prelim week two, each consisting of 16 contestants.
During the two preliminary weeks, contestants perform five shows in a row — Wednesday through Sunday — doing five to seven-minute sets. Week one for 2026 goes November 4th to November 8th, with week two on the following Wednesday through Sunday.
The top five performers from each preliminary week, as determined by judges’ scoring, continue on to the semi-finals and are guaranteed a cash prize.
semi-finals
These top 10 preliminary round comedians move on to the semi-finals week Wednesday November 18th through Sunday November 22nd. Contestants perform an eight-to-12 minute set each night.
At the end of the semi-finals week, the top five-scored comedians advance to the finals — at this point, each of the advancing comedians are guaranteed at least $1,000 in prize money.
Finals
The SICC 2026 finals will go from Tuesday, November 24th through Sunday, November 29th (with a break day and no show on Thanksgiving).
The five comedians who advance to the finals will perform sets of 12 to 18 minutes each show. At the end of the week, the champion of SICC ‘26 receives $5,000, with runners up also receiving cash prizes ranging from $1,500 to $3,500.
SICC 2026 Schedule Summary
Prelim week 1: first week of November, 16 comedians
Prelim week 2: second week of November, 16 comedians
Semi-finals week: third week of November, top 10 comedians
Finals week: fourth week in November, top five comedians
The Prizes
In 2026, at least $16,000 will be awarded to the top ten comedians. That means everyone who advances out of the preliminaries will win a cash prize.
This year, the prize for each place will be at least:
$5,000 for first place
$3,000, $2,500, $2,000, and $1,500 for second through fifth place, respectively
$500 to $700 for sixth through 10th place
Submissions
Submissions are open now for the Seattle International Comedy Competition 2026!
Before you submit, we recommend reading up on the format, prize money, and what to expect for this year’s competition here. For any questions, contact SICC’s talent director (who may or may not totally be the Rag’s managing editor) at taylorclarkcomedy@gmail.com.
