The Glasgow International Comedy Festival is set to return this year after all.

In October the festival issued the following statement: "After eighteen years, hundreds of shows and countless laughs, the Scottish Comedy Agency is announcing that it does not plan to organise any future editions of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. After careful consideration, and in light of the fact that the festival has been effectively paused for two years, the SCA has decided to concentrate on other opportunities, including live tours, rather than reviving GICF in the future."

So while the Scottish Comedy Agency is not continuing to run the Festival all is not lost. There is a new person heading the Festival, Glaswegian Krista MacDonald, and a full programme looks set to be announced in early February. 

Some new shows have already been confirmed and there are also shows taking place this year that were due to take place at previous festivals and have had to be rescheduled due to Covid.

A new short statement was announced on the festival website recently: "...Glasgow International Comedy Festival is delighted to announce we will be returning from Thursday 10th to Sunday 27th March 2022 to lift the spirits!"

In 2019, over 500 performances took place across 54 venues throughout Glasgow. The Festival is looking for all comedy types to get involved this year. You can register for the festival here but you'll have to be fast - the deadline is January 24. 

Shows already announced as part of the festival also include Stewart Lee doing his touring show Snowflake/Tornade at King's Theatre on March 14 & 15, Fern Brady doing Autistic Bikini Queen on March 17 at King's Theatre, Larry Dean doing Fudnut on March 13 at King's Theatre, Jerry Sadowitz at King's Theatre on March 20, Susie McCabe doing her show Born Believer at King's Theatre on March 26 and John Shuttleworth at King's Theatre on March 23. 

More here.

Picture: Twitter