Nick Armstrong swears he’s had passholders tell him they’re resting up ahead of the RISE Comedy Festival. “They want to stay up the entire time,” says the co-owner and artistic director of RISE Comedy. “We’ve got fans who hit every show. It’s a lot of comedy, but people in Denver eat it up.”
That’s the kind of devotion the RISE Comedy Festival inspires, and this year, there’s more to devour than ever before.
Running July 25 through August 2, the fourth annual RISE Comedy Festival is set to be its biggest yet. More than 150 performers from around the country will take over the downtown venue for nine days of stand-up showcases, improv ensembles, workshops, late-night chaos, and the ever-popular stand-up competition.
A new 40-seat speakeasy-style venue, the Hideaway, joins the mainstage as a second performance space, transforming RISE into a two-theater playground for comedy in all its forms. “When we added the second space, that gave us another venue to host shows, so this is definitely our biggest festival ever,” said co-owner Josh Nicols. “We tested The Hideaway during the Denver Fringe Festival in June, and it was the perfect way to learn how to run two theaters at once.”
With so many shows happening across both stages, Armstrong encourages audiences to dive in and explore as much as possible. To make that easy, the festival offers an All Access Festival Pass, which grants entry to nearly every performance over both weekends for one flat fee.
"The comedy scene in Denver is huge and we're just happy to be hosting so many people here," Armstrong says. "We have an All Access Pass, which allows you to get into all of the shows, and it's actually very inexpensive [$99]. We try to make it as inexpensive as we can so people can watch as many as they want; there are some comedy junkies in Denver."
For Armstrong, the challenge of coordinating so many performers is a welcome one. “It’s more exciting than it is difficult,” he says. “It’ll be more challenging to manage all those folks and make sure they all have a great experience, because Josh and I are really big on taking care of the people that come into town.”
That sense of care and connection has always been central to the owner's vision for the venue. Armstrong and Nicols relocated to Denver in 2019 to take over the Voodoo Comedy Playhouse, which rebranded as RISE in 2021 and held its inaugural festival in 2022. The idea: fill the void left by the now-defunct Denver Improv Festival and build something just as vital for a new generation.
“We’ve dreamed of building a festival that’s not just big but meaningful,” Nicols says. “RISE is more than a venue. It is a creative lab. This year’s festival is our boldest step toward redefining what a comedy community can look like.”
The festival’s first weekend, July 25 and 26, is all about stand-up. From local favorites in the Stand Up Colorado Locals Showcase to the late-night wildness of the Rest of Fest Showcase, audiences will get to witness a range of comedic voices. The main event is Saturday's Stand-Up Competition Finals. Comics compete for $500, $250 and $150, but the real prize is the opportunity to perform in front of influential industry judges.
“Each year we bring in different judges who work in the industry, book festivals, and help comics get real exposure,” Armstrong explained. “Last year, some gave out their emails and told comics to send them tapes. That kind of connection can open real doors.”
The following weekend, July 31 to August 2, is dedicated to improv. Some of those acts include returning festival favorites like All Wine and Weasels, who wowed audiences last year and are back both to perform and teach. Other highlights include high-energy musical comedy from Hit and Run: Musical Improv, inventive formats like Mockumentary Now! and a performance by the BIPOC troupe District 9.
Creating that kind of connective atmosphere is no accident. Armstrong and Nicols both came up in the festival circuit and understand the magic of meeting new people backstage, in green rooms or over a post-show drink.
“It’s almost like an improv convention,” Nicols said. “There’s so much insight exchanged — not just on stage, but behind the scenes.”
That cross-pollination has had a lasting impact on Denver’s comedy scene. “Last year, I had Denver performers come up and thank us for bringing in folks from outside the state,” Armstrong said. “Seeing work outside of our bubble was a big inspiration for them, and it honestly influenced a lot of the work on our stage the next year."
Despite rising travel costs, approximately 350 submissions for this year's festival were received from all over the country, "which is actually a little lower this year because of everything going on in the world," Armstrong says. "I think people are travel-adverse because of budget, or at least, that’s what we’ve been told, but hey, I’ll still take it. I mean, that's still a really healthy response."
"We were able to put together a great festival with that response," Nicols interjects. "We have more people participating in the festival than ever before, and we can't wait to get them all into our space because the energy is unmatched."
While the festival is growing in scope, the co-owners are committed to keeping it grounded.
"We don't want it to become this huge thing, because we don't want it to become so diluted that people can't connect," Armstrong says. "Connection has always been a thing with us and it's more important now than ever before. Does that mean eventually I wouldn’t love to get like a huge team or comic to do a separate show in a bigger venue? No, I mean, we have a lot of friends that fit that bill that we could bring in, but we just haven't gotten there yet, and we don't want to do that yet. We're still focused on the Denver community, making them great, and all these new folks coming in."
"Yeah, we want to make a village that's big enough that everyone can connect with everybody and not outgrow that because we really like that," Nicols adds. That village is increasingly filled with longtime fans, new faces, tourists, neighbors, and even the next generation of comics. Nicols is especially excited for one personal moment this year: performing with his improv team Tapestry for a crowd that includes his high school students from Arvada West.
"They’ve seen me coach, but the entire group has seen me perform like this," Nicols says. "I've gotten to watch them perform a lot, and obviously I get to play with them as I coach them, and as we warm up and stuff, so they've seen me do a scene or two, but not a full-fledged mono scene team performance. So, I'm really excited to show them everything I've been teaching them."
And for audiences? Whether you’re a stand-up junkie, an improv fan or someone who just needs a week-long escape from the world, the 2025 RISE Comedy Festival promises to provide that break.
"Especially this year, I think it's going to be a huge escape for people," Armstrong says. "RISE Comedy Festival is a place you can go to have fun and just not think of anything except what's in that building and what's happening in front of them. Coming together for comedy is a joyful act of rebellion that's needed now more than ever."
The RISE Comedy Festival is Friday, July 25, through Saturday, August 2, at RISE Comedy, 1260 22nd Street. Learn more at risecomedy.com.
That’s the kind of devotion the RISE Comedy Festival inspires, and this year, there’s more to devour than ever before.
Running July 25 through August 2, the fourth annual RISE Comedy Festival is set to be its biggest yet. More than 150 performers from around the country will take over the downtown venue for nine days of stand-up showcases, improv ensembles, workshops, late-night chaos, and the ever-popular stand-up competition.
A new 40-seat speakeasy-style venue, the Hideaway, joins the mainstage as a second performance space, transforming RISE into a two-theater playground for comedy in all its forms. “When we added the second space, that gave us another venue to host shows, so this is definitely our biggest festival ever,” said co-owner Josh Nicols. “We tested The Hideaway during the Denver Fringe Festival in June, and it was the perfect way to learn how to run two theaters at once.”
With so many shows happening across both stages, Armstrong encourages audiences to dive in and explore as much as possible. To make that easy, the festival offers an All Access Festival Pass, which grants entry to nearly every performance over both weekends for one flat fee.
"The comedy scene in Denver is huge and we're just happy to be hosting so many people here," Armstrong says. "We have an All Access Pass, which allows you to get into all of the shows, and it's actually very inexpensive [$99]. We try to make it as inexpensive as we can so people can watch as many as they want; there are some comedy junkies in Denver."
For Armstrong, the challenge of coordinating so many performers is a welcome one. “It’s more exciting than it is difficult,” he says. “It’ll be more challenging to manage all those folks and make sure they all have a great experience, because Josh and I are really big on taking care of the people that come into town.”
That sense of care and connection has always been central to the owner's vision for the venue. Armstrong and Nicols relocated to Denver in 2019 to take over the Voodoo Comedy Playhouse, which rebranded as RISE in 2021 and held its inaugural festival in 2022. The idea: fill the void left by the now-defunct Denver Improv Festival and build something just as vital for a new generation.
“We’ve dreamed of building a festival that’s not just big but meaningful,” Nicols says. “RISE is more than a venue. It is a creative lab. This year’s festival is our boldest step toward redefining what a comedy community can look like.”
The festival’s first weekend, July 25 and 26, is all about stand-up. From local favorites in the Stand Up Colorado Locals Showcase to the late-night wildness of the Rest of Fest Showcase, audiences will get to witness a range of comedic voices. The main event is Saturday's Stand-Up Competition Finals. Comics compete for $500, $250 and $150, but the real prize is the opportunity to perform in front of influential industry judges.
“Each year we bring in different judges who work in the industry, book festivals, and help comics get real exposure,” Armstrong explained. “Last year, some gave out their emails and told comics to send them tapes. That kind of connection can open real doors.”
The following weekend, July 31 to August 2, is dedicated to improv. Some of those acts include returning festival favorites like All Wine and Weasels, who wowed audiences last year and are back both to perform and teach. Other highlights include high-energy musical comedy from Hit and Run: Musical Improv, inventive formats like Mockumentary Now! and a performance by the BIPOC troupe District 9.
Beyond the competition and marquee performances, RISE is also running its Festival Intensive, a four-day educational program featuring four instructors and 24 hours of training. “At first, people are figuring each other out,” Nicols said, “but by the end of the week, they’ve become teammates. Watching that transformation is one of the most rewarding parts.”
Creating that kind of connective atmosphere is no accident. Armstrong and Nicols both came up in the festival circuit and understand the magic of meeting new people backstage, in green rooms or over a post-show drink.
“It’s almost like an improv convention,” Nicols said. “There’s so much insight exchanged — not just on stage, but behind the scenes.”
That cross-pollination has had a lasting impact on Denver’s comedy scene. “Last year, I had Denver performers come up and thank us for bringing in folks from outside the state,” Armstrong said. “Seeing work outside of our bubble was a big inspiration for them, and it honestly influenced a lot of the work on our stage the next year."
Despite rising travel costs, approximately 350 submissions for this year's festival were received from all over the country, "which is actually a little lower this year because of everything going on in the world," Armstrong says. "I think people are travel-adverse because of budget, or at least, that’s what we’ve been told, but hey, I’ll still take it. I mean, that's still a really healthy response."
"We were able to put together a great festival with that response," Nicols interjects. "We have more people participating in the festival than ever before, and we can't wait to get them all into our space because the energy is unmatched."
While the festival is growing in scope, the co-owners are committed to keeping it grounded.
"We don't want it to become this huge thing, because we don't want it to become so diluted that people can't connect," Armstrong says. "Connection has always been a thing with us and it's more important now than ever before. Does that mean eventually I wouldn’t love to get like a huge team or comic to do a separate show in a bigger venue? No, I mean, we have a lot of friends that fit that bill that we could bring in, but we just haven't gotten there yet, and we don't want to do that yet. We're still focused on the Denver community, making them great, and all these new folks coming in."
"Yeah, we want to make a village that's big enough that everyone can connect with everybody and not outgrow that because we really like that," Nicols adds. That village is increasingly filled with longtime fans, new faces, tourists, neighbors, and even the next generation of comics. Nicols is especially excited for one personal moment this year: performing with his improv team Tapestry for a crowd that includes his high school students from Arvada West.
"They’ve seen me coach, but the entire group has seen me perform like this," Nicols says. "I've gotten to watch them perform a lot, and obviously I get to play with them as I coach them, and as we warm up and stuff, so they've seen me do a scene or two, but not a full-fledged mono scene team performance. So, I'm really excited to show them everything I've been teaching them."
And for audiences? Whether you’re a stand-up junkie, an improv fan or someone who just needs a week-long escape from the world, the 2025 RISE Comedy Festival promises to provide that break.
"Especially this year, I think it's going to be a huge escape for people," Armstrong says. "RISE Comedy Festival is a place you can go to have fun and just not think of anything except what's in that building and what's happening in front of them. Coming together for comedy is a joyful act of rebellion that's needed now more than ever."
The RISE Comedy Festival is Friday, July 25, through Saturday, August 2, at RISE Comedy, 1260 22nd Street. Learn more at risecomedy.com.
