Moontower Comedy Festival brings laughs, economic boost to area

Yahoo

20-04-2025

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Moontower Comedy Festival is wrapping up its final shows in Austin, marking the end of a more than week-long celebration of comedy that has become a staple in the industry.
The festival, which attracts big-name acts, has drawn approximately 65,000 attendees this year, significantly boosting the local economy, organizers said.
'We'll do something around 65,000 people in attendance of the festival,' said Jim Ritts, CEO of the Austin Theatre Alliance. The non profit runs the Paramount Theater which hosts the annual festival.
The festival has grown from its humble beginnings off Congress at the State and Paramount theaters since it began in 2012. It's now in more venues, and more venues mean more people, and more money.
'We really do drive the economy around this. I think our economic contribution from all of this is somewhere between $7.5 to $10 million,' Ritts added.
Despite its growth and the presence of huge stars, the festival maintains a focus on economic accessibility, ensuring that as many people as possible can enjoy the performances.
'We try to make sure that economic access isn't a barrier for being able to see comedy. So you can go to clubs and see it for $20, or buy a badge for $100 that lets you hop from club to club, as well as all the headliners,' Ritts said.
As the festival concludes, organizers hint at further expansion and the potential for comedy specials to be filmed at the Paramount for platforms like Netflix or Hulu.
All facts from this article were gathered by KXAN journalists. This article was converted into this format with assistance from artificial intelligence. It has been edited and approved by KXAN staff. Read about our approach to using AI tools.
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