The annual Udderbelly Festival in London is to unite with the London Wonderground season to become the Underbelly Festival – a new multi-arts extravaganza on London’s South Bank running from 28 April – 30 September.

Since 2009 just under a million people have bought tickets to shows at Udderbelly Festival and London Wonderground. The Underbelly Festival will take place on the same site and continue to present London’s largest programme of comedy, circus, cabaret and children’s shows in a city-centre festival environment with a great range of street food and one of the largest outdoor bars in London. Though one major change is that the purple cow venue will no longer be there - something else is planned which is yet to be revealed.

Highlights of Underbelly Festival’s 2017 season include:

• London premiere of Driftwood from acclaimed Australian circus company Casus (Knee Deep), described as “awe-inspiring” by The Guardian’s Lyn Gardner.
• London premiere of Edinburgh Festival Fringe hit Catch Me (Attrape Moi) from Flip FabriQue, the impossibly athletic Quebecois troupe that “projects an irrepressible spirit of fun” with “acts that don’t seem humanly possible” according to the New York Times.
• UK premiere and longest ever London run from the original cocks of the walk, the cult boylesque cirque-cabaret act known as Briefs, who will unveil their first new show in four years following their internationally acclaimed Second Coming.

Joining them will be the very finest in stand-up, musical, alternative and sketch comedy, as well as cabaret, circus, puppetry, magic, and family entertainment with something to suit all ages. Highlights going on sale from 10am, March 24, include James Acaster, Al Murray, Sara Pascoe, Festival of the Spoken Nerd, Ed Gamble, Angelos and Barry, Margaret Thatcher Queen of Gameshows, House of Burlesque and Stephen K Amos.

More shows for the inaugural Underbelly Festival will be announced in the coming weeks.

For full current listings and ticket info click here.