Hotels near the Glasgow International Comedy Festival

First held in 2002, the Glasgow International Comedy Festival rapidly established itself as the biggest laugh in Scotland. Each year it features over 200 laughter-filled events in over 40 venues throughout the city.

Always attracting a strong line-up (what else would they be doing in March?), the festival rivals Edinburgh's Fringe. Regional showcases highlight Scottish, Irish, Northern and Celtic comedy while international visitors have included the likes of Joan Rivers. Coupled with improvisation nights, movies and comedy writing workshops, expect the rest of the country to be stony-faced while all the laughter happens in Glasgow in March.

Top names in 2012 include Rory Bremner, Dara O'Briain, Ardal O'Hanlon, Jerry Sadowitz, rising star Daniel Sloss and, from America, Michael Winslow and Doug Stanhope.