MOONTOWER JUST FOR LAUGHS AUSTIN

IS THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE ITS BIGGEST COMEDY FESTIVAL TO DATE
APRIL 10-21, 2024.

100+ COMEDIANS TAKE OVER DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, TX

FOR TWO WEEKS OF UNPARALLELLED COMEDY

ARTISTS JUST ANNOUNCED INCLUDE

 ANDREW SCHULZ, SHANE GILLIS,“OFFICE LADIES” PODCAST, AMY SEDARIS, MARC MARON, MARGARET CHO, MIKE BIRBIGLIA, “THE STATE” REUNION, NICOLE BYER, ARI SHAFFIR, KATHY GRIFFIN, MO HEART, ROY WOOD JR., CATHERINE COHEN, DARCY & JER, “FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF” SCREENING WITH ALAN RUCK, AND MORE!

Badges on Sale Now!

AUSTIN, TEXAS (November 30, 2023) — Moontower Just For Laughs Austin, one of North America’s largest and most celebrated comedy festivals, is set to return this April bringing a lineup stacked with some of the funniest names in comedy to 10+ downtown venues in Austin, Texas. The festival will take place over two weeks, April 10-21, and will feature a star-studded slate of headliners plus a 4-day comedy club binge filled with cult favorites, new comics to watch, live podcasts, and much more. 

The festival continues to expand exponentially with its first ever arena shows featuring two of today’s hottest selling touring artists.   Fresh off an international tour that included multiple sold-out arenas  including two sold-out shows at  Just For Laughs Sydney and two sold-out shows at Just For Laughs Toronto, Andrew Schulz, stand-up comedian and podcaster, returns to Austin with his new show The Life Tour at the Moody Center on April 19.  Schulz’s latest comedy special, Infamous, was filmed at the Paramount Theatre and has garnered over 18 million views on YouTube. Shane Gillis, who recently released his first Netflix special, Shane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs, kicks off weekend one of the fest at H-E-B Center in Cedar Park. Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, who co-starred in The Office as Pam Beesly and Angela Martin and who have also been co-hosts of the hit weekly podcast Office Ladies, will also make a stop at ACL Live with for An Evening with the Office Ladies where they will be sharing scenes of stories of their time on the set of The Office and tales of their best friendship.

With more than 20 shows announced today at the Paramount and State Theatres, there is something for every comedy fan. Among the Paramount talent is Emmy-nominated Amy Sedaris, host of At Home with Amy Sedaris, and a screening of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off followed by a Q&A with Alan Ruck, who was most recently seen as Connor Roy in HBO’s hit show Succession. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of their cult classic MTV series, the sketch comedy troupe THE STATE reunites on stage for a balls-out evening of old favorites and new material. The cast, who has gone on to work on many other projects together, includes Michael Ian Black, Thomas Lennon, Michael Patrick Jann, Kevin Allison, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Joe Lo Truglio, David Wain, and Ken Marino.

Joining the fun at Paramount are the hilarious Nicole Byer, who can be seen hosting the Netflix hit baking competition Nailed It! or on NBC’s comedy Grand Crew, as well as Moontower favorites Brad Williams, one of the most in-demand comics working today, and Marc Maron, host of the popular WTF with Marc Maron podcast. Two-time Emmy and Grammy award winning comedian and actress Kathy Griffin brings her new show “My Life on the PTSD List” to the Paramount, as well as Mo Heart, drag queen, recording artist, and former contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race. 

Also on tap to headline the Paramount are Roy Wood Jr., previously a correspondent for The Daily Show and host of the 2023 White House Correspondents’ Dinner; Mike Birbiglia, accomplished comedian, actor, writer and storyteller; Joe Pera, best known for his Adult Swim series, “Joe Pera Talks With You”; Ari Shaffir, whose last special, “Jew,” garnered nearly 6 million views and was written up in the NY Times as one of the best specials of the year; and Desi Banks, a prolific content creator and stand-up comic with an immense following of over 15 million fans across various platforms. Rounding out the Paramount list are Darcy & Jer, who bring their internet content to the stage in a new live show to share their sense of humor, joyful personalities, and unique content that has built them an adoring fan base across the globe. 

Next door at the State Theatre, Catherine Cohen brings her cabaret comedy to the stage for a night of TMI, or as the New York Times said, “millennial oversharing and confidence run amok.” Joining her at the State are Sugar Sammy, one of the hottest comedians on the international circuit, the Celebrity Memoir Book Club podcast, where hosts Claire Parker and Ashley Hamilton read celebrity memoirs so you don’t have to by pulling out the juiciest moments and giving unfiltered takes on celebrity gossip, Ken Flores, a rapidly rising star, and Finnish comedian ISMO, the ultimate observer and master of word-play whose uniquely hilarious delivery makes quick fans out of people of all cultures.

In addition to the many headliner shows happening throughout the entire two weeks of the festival, a 4-day comedy binge will take place April 17-20 that will bring an amazing lineup of club shows to venues throughout downtown Austin. It’s one of fest-goers’ favorite parts, and this year promises to over-deliver on the laughs more than ever before. Among the comedians just announced playing club shows are Tina Friml, Todd Barry, Jenny Zigrino, Carmen Christopher, Django Gold, Leslie Liao, Opey Olagbaju, Poly Diaz, Shane Torres, and The Sklar Brothers, as well as the 2 Dykes and a Mic podcast.

Additional performers and events will be added to the Moontower Just For Laughs Austin 2024 lineup in the coming months, including more headliners, podcasts, and club shows. The initial talent lineup is included below. 

Similar to last year, festival badges allow you to build your own experience. Each Club Badge gets you into all club shows – with tons of star-studded showcases, stand-up, podcasts, and more – plus nightly parties and lounges during the 4-day comedy club binge April 17-20, while giving you early access to purchase tickets to headliner shows in the larger venues, including Paramount, State and ACL Live. You can upgrade your Club Badge to a Club Plus or Club Premium for even earlier access to headliner presales for the best seats in the house and other perks like skip-the-line entry to club shows.

A popular option with fest-goers is the “Bestie Bundle,” which gets you $25 off every badge when you buy two or more badges. Bestie Bundles also ensure you can sit next to your fest friends when purchasing tickets during headliner presales. 

Moontower Just For Laughs Austin comedy festival badges are on sale now and available for purchase at moontowercomedyfest.com. Badge holder presale for headliner ticket access will begin Monday, December 4th and run through Wednesday, December 6th with all headliner tickets going on sale Friday, December 8th at 12pm CST. You can also purchase badges at the Paramount Theatre box office or by calling 512-474-1221. Andrew Schulz’s one-day pre-sale is next Tuesday, December 5th only, with public tickets on sale as of Wednesday, December 6th.

Moontower Just For Laughs Austin 2024 Initial Talent Lineup

Paramount & State Headliners are in bold; Lineup subject to change

Amos Gill

Amy Sedaris

Andrew Schulz

Ari Shaffir

Blair Socci

Brad Williams

Brandi Denise

Caitlin Peluffo

Carmen Christopher

Cat Cohen

Celebrity Memoir Book Club

Colum Tyrrell

Darcy & Jer

Desi Banks

Django Gold

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Screening with Alan Ruck

Frankie Quinones

Goddamn Comedy Jam

ISMO

Isiah Kelly

Jenny Zigrino

Joe Pera

Josh Adam Meyers

Kathy Griffin

Ken Flores

Leslie Liao

Liza Treyger

Maddie Wiener

Malik Elassal

Marc Maron

Margaret Cho

Mike Birbiglia

Mo Heart

Nicole Byer

Office Ladies Podcast

Opey Olagbaju

Poly Diaz

Roy Wood Jr. 

Saul Trujillo

Shane Gillis

Shane Torres

The Sklar Brothers

State Reunion

Sugar Sammy 

Tina Friml

Todd Barry

Two Dykes & A Mic

Stay tuned for more talent announcements in the coming months. For up-to-date information on the festival, go to moontowercomedyfest.com, follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoontowerComedy, Twitter @moontowercomedy, and Instagram @MoontowerComedy.

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ABOUT MOONTOWER COMEDY

Established in 2011 by the Paramount Theatre and Cap City Comedy Club in Austin, Texas, the Moontower Comedy Festival is known for being a world-class festival experience centered around both fans and comedians alike. Praised by attendees as “a comedy lover’s dream,” Moontower deftly balances star power, cult favorites, emerging talent, and local, Austin-based favorites. As the festival takes over 10+ venues each year in downtown Austin, it doubles as a celebration of the “keep it weird” city that thrives off that live show energy and lifts up artists of all kinds. In addition to the festival, Moontower Comedy Presents brings stand-up, podcasts, and special events to Austin year-round. Moontower Comedy and the Paramount Theatre are 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations.

ABOUT THE JUST FOR LAUGHS GROUP

Global leader in comedy and home to the #1 Comedy Festival in the World, Just for Laughs Group has been launching and championing top comedic talent - including Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Burr, Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, Trevor Noah, Ali Wong, Hannah Gadsby, Hasan Minhaj, Jo Koy and Russell Peters - for close to 40 years. Founded in 1983, the company is an international powerhouse in the creation of multiplatform comedic content. Every year, millions of spectators are entertained at its worldwide festivals, from Montréal – the biggest comedy event in the world – to Toronto and Vancouver, Canada; Austin, U.S.A.; London, UK; and Sydney, Australia; featuring thousands of Canadian and international comedians - from well-established artists to aspiring up-and-comers. With concentrated growth on television development and production, the Group’s digital and televised content is shown in over 150 countries and followed by an online audience of over 14 million. In addition, the Group produces touring shows, stages its own musicals and is the originator of the ComedyPRO industry conference.