The 2020 KCNF will take place at the Just Off Broadway Theater in Kansas City, MO on Aug 3-9 2019. There will be four shows on August 6, 7, 8. Other events will be happening during the 7 days of the festival, including game nights, opportunities to get acts of yours on video, brunch, and much more!

Please use the following categories to help you decide if your number is nerdy (This list is not exhaustive and you may message info@kcnerdfest.com if you think we missed something!): Does your number celebrate...

• Books
• Television
• Films
• Anime/Manga
• Cartoons
• Video Games
• Board Games
• Comic Books
• Toys
• Internet Memes
• Cosplay
• Plays/Musicals
• Mythology

If so, awesome! It's Nerdlesque! If not, shoot us an email and ask us what we're looking for!

Each act will be judged based on five criteria:

• Talent
• Creativity
• Polish
• Costume
• Nerdiness

The top eight acts will be featured in a competition on Saturday that will be judged by the headliners of the festival by the same criteria, with Nerdiness as a tie-breaker.

We have three other shows of up to 10 numbers to cast for as well, and the remaining top scores will be asked to showcase during those nights. While these shows are non-competition, they'll be a lot of fun!

• This is a paid festival. You will be paid a small stipend of $50 minimum per number for your participation. We may increase this amount based on sponsorships.
• You will receive free entry into all events and shows
• We will provide accommodation for out of town performers
• You will have an opportunity to bring and sell merch
• Eight of the top submissions will be offered a spot in the Master of Nerdlesque Competition that will be held on Saturday, August 8, 2020.
• You will have the opportunity to teach one or more workshops that weekend, and receive heavily discounted rates for workshops
• You will receive a gift bag with goodies from our sponsors

Applications will be open from August 5, 2019 through February 2, 2020.

At KCNF, we believe that income should not be a barrier to being included in burlesque's vibrant scene. We've implemented free applications––at which we will accept as many applications as you can submit––until September 30th, 2019. (Performers of color will ALWAYS have free applications) After that, the fee will be $20 per application through January 19, 2020. The fee will increase to $30 for the following week through February 2, 2020. While we will accept late applications, we cannot guarantee that applications received after February 2, 2020 will be considered. We collect the application fees to ensure a conscientious quality of submissions, as well as facilitate a thorough selection process (At least 4 producers going through hundreds of applications each year.) We do offer an early-bird free application period so KCNF is not a pay-to-play festival.

With the KCNF, no news is good news! Let us contact you about the status of your application once we are able to watch all the videos and score them. We'll do that by March 1st, 2020. Please check your email often during that time, because we'll need a response and a signed contract within a week or two of your acceptance!