It’s here again: our FAVORITE event of the year in a calendar filled with events we love: The Los Angeles Immersive Invitational.

Co-presented by After Hours Theatre Company and The Immersive Experience Institute (NoPro’s own presenting partner), the Invitational is a 48-Hour Theatre Festival challenge that culminates in all all-day showcase. 

This year’s showcase takes place on Sunday, May 3rd, 2026, and marks the FIFTH edition of the event!

Four original immersive works will be created in just 48 hours by some of the most exciting immersive storytellers in Los Angeles. From first concept to final performance, each team has one weekend to build something entirely new.

Part incubator, part friendly competition, the Invitational is a rare chance to witness bold new ideas in their earliest form, Previous Invitationals have seen work tour, get developed for new formats, and inspire new projects. 

This year the Invitational will take place at After Hours’ own space in North Hollywood which means, just like the original L.A. Immersive Invitational, just four teams will “compete.” With a tighter focus, the event is also putting an emphasis on empowering and challenging the teams. This time out each team is being challenged to call their own shot and use the Invitational as an opportunity to expand their own creative vocabulary. 

After all the goal is more than a fun weekend, but to make a positive long term impact on the immersive creative scene wherever an Invitational may pop-up. (Say, New York City, this August.)

Those are the lofty ideals, but what you want to know is who the year’s featured creators are.

New Forms LA

An emerging theatre company creating new pathways for theatre, fine arts, and experimental performance to thrive in Los Angeles. Their work reimagines what a night at the theatre can be through ambitious, accessible, community-rooted experiences.

Rogue Artists Ensemble

Creators of Hyper-theater, blending ancient storytelling traditions with new technologies to craft original, design-forward, multi-dimensional performances.

The Speakeasy Society

Known for building 360-degree immersive worlds where audiences play an active role in dynamic narratives shaped by their own choices and actions.

Spies Among Us

Immersive creators since 2011 in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. Their roots in improv comedy fuel highly interactive, exciting, and often humorous experiences.

The teams start cooking on Friday Night and tickets are going FAST for the Sunday Showcase, with previews SOLD OUT and the competition rounds going for just $40.

Discover the latest immersive events, festivals, workshops, and more at our new site EVERYTHING IMMERSIVE, home of NoPro’s show listings.

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In addition to the No Proscenium website and our podcast, and you can find NoPro on Bluesky, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and in the Facebook community also named Everything Immersive.