Renovation Rest
Austin's Moontower Comedy Festival takes a year off in 2027
The Paramount Theatre needs renovations so Jeff Arcuri can keep taking photos like this.
Austin's Moontower Comedy Festival is taking a break in 2027 while the Paramount Theatre is under restorative construction. Fans of the festival can look forward to its return April 19-22, 2028.
Moontower Comedy, which puts on comedy shows year-round, will continue operating as usual, a press release says.
The festival has been around since 2011, and though it's still niche among Austinites, it has a wide reach in the national comedy scene. Comics often tell stories about their time in Austin, where they had a rare chance to get together with more than 100 peers, both well-established and rising. It is also a good place to see alternative, but well-established comics.
The restoration at the Paramount has been underway since June. The project is expansive but the changes will be minor, focusing on preservation rather than a new look. Work includes restoring paint and hardware, making the venue more energy-efficient, replacing seating, creating better disability access, expanding the restrooms and concession areas, and most notably, adding a ballroom lounge based on blueprints from the early 1900s.
When it was announced, Shine On, the name for the restoration campaign and redesign of the neighboring State Theatre, was expected to last until February or March of 2027 for the former, and longer for the latter. Fundraising is still ongoing, with $37 million raised out of a $66 million total cost.
The release lists the following performers coming to Austin in the next few months:
- Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam of Watch What Crappens on November 13, 2026
- Davide de Pierro on December 3 and 4, 2026
- Jason Salmon on December 10 and 11, 2026
- Master Pancake riffs Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Jingle All The Way on December 16, 2026
- Janeane Garofalo on January 8 and 9, 2027
- Rafi Bastos on January 28, 2027
- Jiaoying Summers on January 16, 2027
- Josh Johnson on February 5 and 6, 2027
- Carrot Top on May 23, 2027
More Moontower Comedy programming is always being announced.
