Melbourne Comedy Festival celebrates 25 years

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is turning 25 this year and is set to be bigger, better and funnier than ever.

Held between 30 March and 24 April, the 2011 festival will showcase 360 acts, attracting more than half a million festival fans and making it Australia’s largest festival.

As one of the three biggest comedy festivals in the world, the Melbourne Comedy Festival boasts a world-class line up of international comedy talent, including a handful of UK acts like Mark Watson, Nina Conti, Stephen K Amos, David O’Doherty and New Art Club.

Comedy acts will be taking place in 120 iconic venues all over the city, including the Melbourne Town Hall, Capitol Theatre, the Famous Spiegeltent, the Arts Centre and Melbourne Recital Centre.

In conjunction with the festival, visitors will also be able to take a number of different city tours led by comedians, including Hannah Gladsby’s cheeky tour of the National Gallery of Victoria and Rod Quantock’s “History of the Comedy Festival” walking tour. There is also a quirky “Op Shop” tour, which showcases the delights of the city’s more unusual vintage and second hand stores.

So why not brush off those winter blues with some much needed laughter and head to Melbourne for some seriously funny celebrations?

Austravel is offering a seven-night package to Melbourne during the Comedy Festival from £1,349 per person. The package includes return flights from London Heathrow on 4 April, seven nights’ accommodation at the Art Series Blackman Hotel, a hot air balloon tour over the Yarra Valley with champagne breakfast and a Hidden Secrets Lanes and Arcades tour in Melbourne. For more information or to book visit: austravel.com

Tickets for the festival can be purchased online at: ticketek.com.au

For information on visiting Melbourne and the Australian state of Victoria please go to: visitmelbourne.com & comedyfestival.com.au