The 16th Liverpool Comedy Festival kicks off this week with 150 shows across 18 venues.

A huge array of comedians and performers are about to descend upon the city for the 16th annual Liverpool Comedy Festival.

Spanning 17 days and boasting somewhere in the number of 150 events the festival kicks off this Friday 15th September with over half a dozen shows on offer featuring Stewart Lee, Charmian Hughes, Rory O’Hanlon and Liverpool’s regular Hot Water Comedy Club who have been responsible for programming over 70 of this years showcases.

The 2017 edition sees the biggest selection of headliners so far with household names including Milton Jones, Micky Flanagan, Greg Davies, Rob Brydon all taking to the stage.

They however only make up a small selection of the plethora of entertainment on offer from both national and local artists, with Merseyside represented by Liverpool legend Stan Boardman, rising star Adam Rowe, Twitter personality Ant Campbell and the Wirral’s own Callum Oakley.

Liverpool Comedy Festival partner, The Comedy Trust, will also be celebrating their 15th anniversary, having initially being set up in 2002 with an aim to deliver a wide range of comedy and humour based community, education and health projects with young people, adults, people in recovery and with mental health issues.

Following on from the festival, The Comedy Trust will go on to team up with the Liverpool Mental Health Festival for a second year performance of their Still Feeling Funny Show, displaying the talents of their latest alumni from their mental health and wellbeing Feeling Funny stand-up comedy course.

Liverpool Comedy Festival has something to tickle every taste, not just Stand-Up. Check the full listings an your’ll find Sketch, Improv, Workshops, Comedy Battles, Open Mic Nights, Theatre, Comedy Dining, Cabaret and even an offering of magic.

For more information and tickets visit https://www.liverpoolcomedyfestival.com.