Austin’s Moontower Comedy Festival Taking Year Off In 2027 Amid Paramount Theatre Restoration

The Moontower Comedy Festival, one of North America’s preeminent comedy festivals, is going on hiatus next year amid a major restoration to Austin, TX’s Paramount Theatre.

The festival is officially set to return April 19-22, 2028. While the festival is on pause, Moontower Comedy, the Paramount’s year-round comedy programming arm, will continue to bring nationally recognized comedians, longtime festival favorites, and new voices to stages across Austin throughout the entirety of 2027.

Since its inception in 2011, the Paramount-produced Moontower Comedy Festival has grown into a magnet for comedy lovers, comedians, and industry alike, welcoming some of the biggest names in stand-up alongside rising stars and emerging talent. Each spring, the festival transforms downtown Austin into a haven for stand-up fans.

As both the festival’s producer and longtime homebase for major headliners, the Paramount has been the heart of Moontower Comedy since day one. The restoration to the venue, which is also integratal to SXSW, comes as part of the Paramount and State Theatres’ Shine On capital campaign, an investment in preserving the beloved 111-year-old theatre for future generations of audiences and performers alike.