Stars set for 'biggest ever' Glasgow International Comedy Festival

Elaine C Smith, Limmy and Ed Byrne are among the names set to perform in March

Author: Colin StonePublished 10th Jan 2018

Elaine C Smith, Limmy and Ed Byrne are among the stars set to perform in the biggest ever Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

The event - which gets underway in March - will feature more than 500 shows at 54 venues, the most ever in the festival’s 16-year history.

More than 100,000 tickets are on sale as comedians from across the globe keep the city laughing for 18 days.

Household names like Tommy Tiernan, Rob Delaney, Katherine Ryan and David Baddiel will all take to the stage, as well as a string of more unusual shows.

Mark Thomas will bring a new performance to the festival about starting a comedy night in Palestine, featuring two aspiring comedians from the Jenin refugee camp.

The Comedy Crawl will take the audience to see four comedians in four West End bars, while Round The Clock Comedy Roadshow happens over twelve hours with a different performance every 60 minutes.

There will also be the return of Stand Up Against MND, the benefit night which sees a galaxy of stars come together to raise thousands of pounds for a good cause.

The Whyte & Mackay Glasgow International Comedy Festival will also present the cream of home-grown talent, with the likes of Des Clarke, Iain Connell, Fern Brady, Craig Hill and Janey Godley among the Scots on the bill.

Events take place every day throughout the festival and tickets for all shows are on sale, with some performances already sold out.

Sarah Watson, Glasgow International Comedy Festival Director, said: “It’s always exciting to announce the line-up and this year is no exception.

“As the festival grows we are proud to showcase diverse voices, styles and art forms – it’s great to have two exhibitions in the programme and we’re hugely pleased to welcome eight new venues to the festival including Tramway, Glasgow School of Art Student's Association and the Science Centre.

“There are shows to suit every budget and taste and I hope people will take a chance on someone new – you might just discover the next big thing."