The Sydney Comedy Festival Delivers an Epic Program of Laughs for 2017

The Sydney Comedy Festival has announced what can only be described as an EPIC program, filled to the brim with joyous belly laughs and sidesplitting hilarity for its 13th year in 2017.

From 24th April to 21st May, over 300 of the best local and international comedians will take to stages across Sydney and beyond for the much-loved Festival, which saw over 120,000 comedy lovers share in the laughter last year.

This year, in a nod to the Festival's stellar international reputation, a slew of performers from across the globe will be making their debut including the UK's Joe Lycett, Andy Zaltzman, Phill Jupitus, Romesh Ranganathan and Dane Baptiste; the USA's Chris D'Elia, The Hodgetwins and ERIC ANDRE; India's Papa CJ and Vir Das; and Germany's Anne Klinge and Canada's Ian Bagg.

In another first for the Festival, a comedy show will be performed entirely in Mandarin! Renowned for his impeccable grasp of the language, Canadian comedian Dashan is a household name in China, having introduced his own brand of stand-up comedy to Chinese audiences. For his Festival show, Dashan will share hilarious stories about his 30 years between East and West.

A huge line-up of crowd favourites will be returning to the Festival armed with dynamic new shows, including Arj Barker (USA), David O'Doherty (IRE), Jason Byrne (IRE), DeAnne Smith (CAN), Ivan Aristeguieta (VEN), Urzila Carlson (NZ/RSA), Aunty Donna, Dave Hughes, Tom Gleeson, Nazeem Hussain, Doug Anthony All Stars, Fiona O'Loughlin, Frank Woodley, Joel Creasey and many more.

Young comedy fans aged 5-12 years can also jump aboard the fun with Comedy for Kids! Shipwreck Gala at Sydney Town Hall. Proudly supported by City of Sydney and hosted by Harley Breen and Heath Franklin (aka Captain Fun Pants and Pirate No Beard) the Comedy for Kids! Shipwreck Gala will steer an action packed, line-up of stowaway sketch comedy, hip hop sea shanties, acrobatic pirates, circus, stand up and much more! All proceeds will be donated to the Sydney Story Factory.

Hand-picked by the Festival, the finest young comedians will also take to the stage in the FRESH program, an initiative that supports emerging talent through mentoring and financial support. For the bargain ticket price of $15, audiences can see some of the very best fresh new voices in the comedy scene.

Rounding out another huge year, the End of Festival Gala will close out the Festival with a must-see line-up of international comedy stars and local heroes at Sydney Town Hall.

The Sydney Comedy Festival runs from 24th April to 21st May 2017. Tickets are available from www.sydneycomedyfest.com.au or the Box Office: 02 9020 6966.

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