W H A T ' S F U N N Y C O M E D Y F E S T I V A L. C H I C A G O
Privacy
Policy.
We take your privacy as seriously as we take the punchlines. This page explains what we collect when you browse the site, grab tickets, join the mailing list, or come out to a show — and what you can do about it.
Effective August 13, 2026
Last updated August 13, 2026
The short version: we collect what we need to sell tickets, send you lineup news, and run a safe festival. We don't sell your data. Every WFCF email has an unsubscribe link, and you can ask us to delete your information at any time.
1. Information We Collect
We collect information you give us directly and a limited amount of information that is gathered automatically when you use our website.
Information you give us
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Contact details — name, email address, phone number, and mailing address when you subscribe to our newsletter, submit a form, or contact us.
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Ticketing details — the events you select and the order information passed back to us by our ticketing partners.
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Artist, press, and volunteer submissions — bios, headshots, reels, social handles, credentials, and any materials you send when applying to perform, cover, or work the festival.
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Sponsorship and partnership details — company name, role, and business contact information.
Information collected automatically
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Device and browser type, operating system, and screen size.
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IP address and approximate location derived from it.
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Pages viewed, links clicked, referring site, and time spent on the site.
We do not knowingly collect payment card numbers. Card data is entered directly with our ticketing and payment processors and is never stored on our systems.
2. How We Use Your Information
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Process and confirm ticket orders and send event reminders or schedule changes.
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Send lineup drops, ticket alerts, and festival news when you opt in.
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Review artist, press, volunteer, and sponsorship submissions.
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Respond to questions, requests, and accessibility needs.
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Measure site performance and improve programming, venues, and marketing.
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Protect the festival against fraud, ticket scalping abuse, and security threats.
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Comply with legal, tax, and venue or licensing obligations.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with third parties for their own independent marketing.
3. Ticketing, Venues, and Service Providers
The festival takes place across independent Chicago venues and uses third-party platforms to run its operations. We share only the information those partners need in order to provide their service, including:
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Ticketing and box-office platforms that process your order and issue entry passes.
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Payment processors that handle transactions securely.
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Email and SMS marketing platforms that deliver our newsletters.
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Website hosting, form, and analytics providers.
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Venue partners where a venue requires a guest list or age-verification check.
These partners operate under their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review the policy of any ticketing platform you purchase through.
4. Cookies and Tracking
We use cookies and similar technologies to keep the site functioning, remember your preferences, and understand which pages and shows draw the most interest. Categories used:
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Essential — required for the site, forms, and checkout links to work.
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Analytics — aggregated traffic and engagement measurement.
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Marketing — used to measure ad performance and reach comedy fans on social platforms.
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may break parts of the site. We honor recognized browser-based opt-out signals such as Global Privacy Control where legally required.
5. Photography, Video, and Live Tapings
What's Funny Comedy Festival events are photographed and recorded. Some shows are filmed for stand-up specials, recap reels, and press use. By entering a festival venue, you acknowledge that you may be captured in photography or video and that WFCF and its production partners may use that footage for promotional, editorial, and archival purposes without additional compensation.
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If you believe you appear in festival content and would like it reviewed, contact us, and we will consider your request in good faith, subject to any broadcast or distribution agreements already in place.
6. Your Choices and Rights
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Unsubscribe at any time using the link in any WFCF email. Transactional ticket messages will still be sent.
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Access, correct, or delete the personal information we hold about you.
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Opt out of analytics and marketing cookies.
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Object to or restrict certain processing where the law provides that right.
Illinois residents: we do not collect biometric identifiers such as fingerprints or face templates under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. Residents of jurisdictions with comprehensive privacy laws, including California and the EU/UK, may exercise the rights described above by contacting us. We will not discriminate against you for doing so.
7. Data Retention and Security
We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purpose it was collected, and for as long as required for tax, accounting, or legal recordkeeping. Newsletter data is kept until you unsubscribe. Submission materials for artists, press, and volunteers are retained through the festival cycle and may be kept for consideration in a future year unless you ask us to remove them.
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We use reasonable administrative and technical safeguards to protect your information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Children's Privacy
Our website is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13; we do not knowingly collect their personal information. Many festival events are 18+ or 21+ as set by the venue. If you believe a child has provided us with information, contact us, and we will delete it.
9. Links to Other Sites
Our site links to ticketing platforms, venues, sponsors, artists, and social media. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of those sites. Review their policies before sharing information with them.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy as the festival, our partners, or the law changes. The revised version will be posted on this page with a new effective date. Material changes will be communicated by email or a notice on the site where appropriate.
11. Contact Us
Questions about this policy or a request about your information? Reach out and we'll respond as quickly as we can.