A former first minister will be among the headliners at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival (GICF) for the 2025 edition.

The event, set to take place from March 12 to 30, 2025, will celebrate the city as the "funniest city in the world."

The 2025 festival will welcome some big names, including Nicola Sturgeon, Frankie Boyle, Susie McCabe, and Val McDermid.

The festival will feature performances across every genre of comedy, including traditional stand-up, live podcasts, clowning, improv, theatre, children's shows, and musicals.

(Image: Glasgow International Comedy Festival) Tickets are already on sale at www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com.

Here Comes The Guillotine, a podcast by Frankie Boyle, Susie McCabe and Christopher MacArthur-Boyd will have its first live show at the festival.

Susie said: “The three of us are really looking forward to sharing a stage together in our hometown, and doing something a bit different from our established stand up.”

Susie, who was the 2024 Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award winner, will also return with her new show Best Behaviour.

(Image: Glasgow International Comedy Festival) Val McDermid and Sturgeon will host a night of Books and Banter, discussing books they have loved, loathed, and laughed at.

They said: "Our love of books is what first drew us together and it remains the mainstay of that friendship.

"And now we want to share the love... (at) the Glasgow International Comedy Festival where we’ll be joined by two top names from the comedy world."

With more than 175 shows already confirmed, 10,000 tickets sold, and 21 venues registered, organisers believe the event is on track to be one of the biggest ever.

(Image: Glasgow International Comedy Festival) Krista MacDonald, the director of the festival, said: "We’re looking forward to celebrating Glasgow as the funniest city in the world, as hundreds of comedians and performers set out to entertain audiences in venues all across the city."

Bailie Annette Christie, chair of Glasgow Life, said: “The Glasgow International Comedy Festival is a beloved gem in our vibrant cultural calendar.

“It showcases some of the UK’s most celebrated, award-winning comedians, billed alongside a wealth of local talent, each set to make Glasgow laugh.

Venues currently registered to host GICF events include The King’s Theatre, Oran Mor, The Stand Comedy Club, SEC Armadillo, Blackfriars, Platform, The Old Hairdressers and more.