The 2026 Moontower Comedy Festival dropped its full lineup and schedule, and yeah… it’s one of those “how am I supposed to see all of this” situations. The fest runs April 7 through 18 across more than 10 venues downtown, and it’s stacked in a way that feels slightly aggressive toward your calendar.
Two new shows were just added, and they are very on brand for Austin. Master Pancake Theater is taking on Twister at the Paramount Theatre, which is basically the perfect pairing of chaos and commentary. If you’ve never seen Master Pancake live, imagine watching a movie with a group of people who refuse to let anything slide. Tornadoes, cows flying through the air, someone in the audience laughing way too hard. That’s the energy.
Then you’ve got The Lauren and Mary Show landing at the State Theatre. Lauren Lapkus and Mary Holland together is the kind of combo where you don’t really ask questions, you just show up and trust that things are going to get weird in the best way.
And that’s just the add ons.
The headliner lineup is kind of ridiculous. Albert Brooks is making a rare appearance, which feels like seeing a comedy legend step out of a time machine. Marc Maron is bringing his usual “I’ve thought about everything too much” energy, while Leslie Jones and Kathy Griffin are both showing up ready to say things that will probably live in your head rent free for a week.
Then you’ve got the newer wave like Jeff Arcuri and René Vaca, who have been blowing up and now get to test that momentum in front of an Austin crowd that is not afraid to let you know how they feel.
And somewhere in the middle of all that chaos is Meg Stalter, who operates on a frequency that feels like she drank three cold brews and decided to improv her way through life. Sarah Sherman is also on the lineup, continuing her mission to make late night comedy feel slightly unhinged again.
Then there’s Roy Wood Jr., who has that calm, surgical delivery where you laugh and then realize you just got roasted in the process. Add in names like Vir Das, Nish Kumar, Brad Williams, Cristela Alonzo, and Lucy Darling, and it starts to feel like Moontower is just flexing at this point.
But if you’ve been to this festival before, you already know the secret. The club shows are where things really hit. This is where you end up in a smaller room, drink in hand, watching someone you’ve never heard of absolutely destroy. Or bomb. Or both in the same set. It’s unpredictable, it’s messy, and it’s usually the thing you end up talking about the next day.
This year’s club lineup is stacked with names like Natalie Palamides, Ian Fidance, Corey B., Viggo Venn, Erin Farrington, and a long list of killers including Beth Stelling, Doug Benson, Guy Branum, Shane Torres, and more. Plus a strong showing from Austin comics, which is always where the real local flavor comes in.
The festival spreads across downtown spots like The Paramount, State Theatre, Antone’s, Cap City Comedy Club, The Velveeta Room, Vulcan Gas Company, and enough other venues that you’ll probably get your steps in whether you planned to or not.
Badges cover the April 15 to 18 stretch with access to more than 100 comics, club shows, and after parties, while individual headliner tickets are still up for grabs.
Full schedule, badges, and tickets are live now at moontowercomedyfest.com.