GLASGOW’S International Comedy Festival is to return next year with some of the biggest names headlining shows - and a new sponsor.

Whyte & Mackay Blended Whisky will headline sponsorship of the 2018 event. The long-running festival is the flagship event of the Glasgow comedy calendar and from next year will be known as the Whyte & Mackay Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

It features some of comedy’s biggest names including David Baddiel, Bridget Christie, Des Clarke, Tommy Tiernan, Katherine Ryan and Rob Delaney, who are already lined up for 2018.

The full programme will be revealed in January but comedy favourite Limmy has also announced a show. The comic, whose real name is Brian Limond, will take his show Limmy’s Vines to the Tramway on Monday, March 19 at 8pm.

Whyte & Mackay CEO Bryan Donaghey said: “We are thrilled to be involved with such an iconic event and look forward to helping make the 2018 Whyte & Mackay Glasgow International Comedy Festival a huge success.

“As a brand with humour and Glaswegian heritage at our core, we feel the partnership is an ideal stage to share our surprisingly smooth blend with a new audience.”

Sarah Watson, Director of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival said “We are hugely excited to announce this partnership which will allow us to create an even better festival and bring more laughs to Glasgow next March. Whyte & Mackay have some great things planned and we’re looking forward to revealing more in the coming months.”