Gilda's Laughfest To Announce 2018 Festival Artists Next Week

On Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 a.m., Gilda's LaughFest, the nation's first ever community-wide festival of laughter, will announce artists performing at the 2018 10-day festival, which runs March 8-18, 2018. The artists being revealed will build on the recently announced "Weird Al" Yankovic event happening March 10, and the Grand Rapids Symphony's Second City comedy theater collaboration, March 16-18.

LaughFest Badges will go on sale to the general public 10 a.m., Nov. 17. Badges are priced at four levels and will allow individuals to create customized ticket options for shows before individual tickets go on sale. The badges will include access to insider perks, such as exclusive parties, early access to additional single ticket sales, early seating at free shows, merchandise discounts and an exclusive t-shirt.

LaughFest Badges can be purchased at laughfestgr.org, or by calling 616-735-HAHA (4242). Individual ticket sales will be available beginning January.

Past LaughFest headliners have included Howie Mandel, Seth Meyers, George Lopez, Wanda Sykes, Billy Gardell, Iliza, Amy Schumer, Jay Leno, Lily Tomlin, Chris Tucker, Pete Holmes, Sinbad, Margaret Cho, Betty White, Whoopi Goldberg, Mike Epps, Kathleen Madigan, Martin Short, Kevin Nealon, Wayne Brady, Jim Breuer, Joel McHale, Lewis Black and Brian Regan.