Dr. Phil is coming to Moontower Comedy Festival. No, not that Dr. Phil but Adam Ray, whose hilarious imitation of America’s most risible not-actually-a-medical-doctor is part of the first wave of comedy greats and up-and-comers announced for next year’s festival of fun.
The long-running comedy fest – first founded in 2011 as the Moontower Comedy and Oddities Festival – returns April 9-19, 2025 at venues around town, beginning with a week of headliners at Bass Concert Hall, the Paramount, and the Thompson. However, the heart of the fest is the closing four-day tornado of chuckles (April 16-19) featuring more than 100 comics, nightly parties, and special events.
The lineup is loaded with new sets from familiar names to Moontower returning headliners such as the fabulously foul-mouthed Big Jay Oakerson, character genius Maria Bamford, Daily Show correspondent Josh Johnson, and comedy powerhouse and Cirque du Soleil star Brad Williams.
Of course stand-up is the heart of Moontower, but comedy in all shapes and formats makes up the lineup, such as the unstoppable trio of SiriusXM fixture Fortune Feimster, Tig Notaro, and Mae Martin with their podcast Handsome. Irish comic David Nihill brings his smash hit one-man work Shelf Help to Austin, while the inimitable Riki Lindhome may call her show Dead Inside but the laughs and songs prove otherwise.
However, just because Moontower can call on talent from all around the globe, the organizers aren’t ignoring the ‘Austin’ part of the name. The cream of the local crop will be on hand to add that ATX flair, including Andrew Murphy, Ashley Sharma, Avery Moore, Brett VerVoort, Chris Tellez, Colton Dowling, Danny Goodwin, Doug Mellard, Dylan Carlino, Genivive Clinton, and 2024’s Funniest Person in Austin winner Liza Splatt.
Passes are available now at moontowercomedyfest.com, and badge holders will have early access to shows requiring individual tickets. Now, here’s the first wave of talents: expect more joke tellers and pun yellers to be announced in the next few months.
Paramount Theatre, Bass Concert Hall, and the Thompson Headliners
Adam Ray present Dr. Phil Live!
Atsuko Okatsuka
Big Jay Oakerson
Brad Williams
David Nihill
Handsome Pod Live with Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, and Mae Martin
Joey “Coco” Diaz
Josh Johnson
Maria Bamford
Riki Lindhome
Appearing
Aaron Weber
Al Madrigal
Alfred Robles
Amy Miller
Andrew Murphy
Andrew Wagner
Ashima Franklin
Ashley Sharma
Brett VerVoort
Austin Nasso
Chinedu Unaka
Chloe Radcliffe
Chloe Troast
Chris Porter
Chris Tellez
Cotton Dowling
Dana Gould
Danny Goodwin
Doug Mellard
Dylan Carlino
Dylan Sullivan
Emil Wakim
Emma Willman
Frank Castillo
Doug Mellard
Dylan Carlino
Dylan Sullivan
Ian Bagg
Ian Fidance
Isabel Hagen
Jackie Kashian
Jason Choi
Jason Sklar
Jeremiah Watkins
Jessimae Peluso
Jordan Temple
Josh Adam Meyers
Justin Hicks
Kalea McNeill
Kandace Medina
Lace Larrabee
Laura Peek
Laurie Kilmartin
Liz Splatt
Liza Treyger
Matt Ross
Matthew Broussard
Mike Falzone
Mike Vecchione
Mitch Burrow
Mohanad Elshieky
Morgan Jay
Natasha Roland
Nathan Macintosh
Nick Murphy
Pat Dean
Paul Oddo
Randy Sklar
Reggie Conquest
Sam Lopez
Stef Dag
Wally Baram
Willie Macc
Xhloe Rice
Zach Noe Towers
Zach Zucker
This article appears in October 18 • 2024.
