Moontower Comedy Festival, the biggest comedy gathering in North America, has already made its 2026 lineup one for the ages with the announcement of legends like Albert Brooks and returning regulars like Vir Das and Marc Maron. Now it’s proving its cutting-edge credentials with a second wave of laughter-makers that includes the hottest talents from Saturday Night Live, HBO, Adult Swim, and beyond.
It’s rare that an SNL sketch that never aired becomes more famous than ones that made it to broadcast, but Sarah Sherman pulled that off with “The Incident,” a now-infamous skit that highlighted her signature mix of practical effects and wild humor. A show regular since 2023, she’s only become a bigger name through her wild, genre-busting HBO standup special, Sarah Squirm: Live + in the Flesh. Now the twisted genius behind a new era of gross-out comedy is just one of the talents on the 2026 lineup.
Also joining her as one of this year’s headliners are fellow HBO stars actor/comedian Meg Stalter (Hacks) and drag legend Murray Hill (Somebody Somewhere), while from further down the cable stations comes Jena Friedman, creator and star of Adult Swim’s Soft Focus With Jena Friedman.
And good news for Austinites who couldn’t get tickets for Lucy Darling’s recent two-night stand at the Paramount. The queen of comedic close-up conjuring makes her return, as award-winning comedian and legit Guinness World Records record holder Carisa Hendrix brings her hilariously barbed-tongue and literally magical alter ego back to town.
However, Moontower is not just about headliners, but also about catching the next generation of stars while they’re still working the clubs. Ava Bunn may be the 2025 Just for Laughs New Face, but she’s about to become a household name as new medical intern Serena in the upcoming revival of hospital sitcom Scrubs. Likewise, while Italian standup Francesco De Carlo may be well known as a regular at New York’s Comedy Cellar, Moontower becomes a stop on his first ever U.S. tour.
At the same time, some performers get to sleep in their own bed. Austin has been a hotbed of comedy for decades, and new local additions to the lineup like Matt Ross, Connor Nutt, and Scott Wharton join previously announced talents like Best of Austin 2025 winner Roxy Castillo and the official Funniest Person in Austin, JJ Curry.
If you’re looking for some true comedy legends, they genuinely don’t get more era-defining than Yakov Smirnoff, whose spoofing of life in Soviet Russia was a mainstay of late-night shows in the Eighties. But for those that think he’s yesterday’s comic, Moontower provides an opportunity to find out why he’s been packing theatres for 40 years and remains one of the most enduring professionals in the business of comedy.
You can find the complete lineup of announced comics at moontowercomedyfest.com. Tickets for headliners are available to badge holders to buy today, and individual tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, Feb. 6.
Moontower has also announced the complete list of venues for this year, with the Creek and the Cave, the Hideout, Paramount, and State being all-ages venues, while Antone’s Nightclub, Cap City Comedy Club, Fallout Theatre, Higbie’s, Rozco’s Comedy Club, Sunset Strip, the Velveeta Lounge, and Vulcan Gas Company will be 18+ only.
Moontower Comedy Festival badges are available at moontowercomedyfest.com and in person at the Paramount box office.