Sarah Watson has been named as the new Director of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. Watson replaces Tommy Sheppard, who has stepped down following his recent election as Member of Parliament for Edinburgh East. Watson was previously the Festival Manager.

The Festival returns from 10th - 27th March 2016 for its 14th year. 2015’s event was one of the biggest to date, with over 78,000 tickets sold for 411 shows at 46 venues all over the city.

Julian Clary, Tom Stade, Craig Campbell, Jenny Eclair and Richard Herring are among the performers already lined up for 2016, with the full programme due to be announced in January 2016.

Watson said: "Having worked for the Festival from the very beginning I’m thrilled to be taking over as Director. We have great plans for 2016 and beyond, and I’m looking forward to bringing even more comedy to Glasgow’s stages, especially with our new Festival Manager Linda Allan, who brings a wealth of experience and knowledge."

Tickest for the shows already confirmed are available here.