THE Wells Comedy Festival in association with Brothers Cider is back, bigger and better, for 2017.

Over the bank holiday weekend of May 26-28 England’s smallest city plays host to a ‘weekend-long stand- up jamboree’, with over 35 comedy shows taking place at four venues in Wells.

Comics performing at the three-day fest include Bafta- winning BBC star Stewart Lee, ‘Mock the Week’s surreal one-liner merchant Milton Jones, TV regular Joe Lycett, Edinburgh Comedy Award- winners Bridget Christie, John Kearns and Adam Riches, stand-up and author Sara Pascoe, and four-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee James Acaster.

Also announced are shows from ‘Have I Got News For You’ star Nish Kumar, absurdist maestro Paul Foot, ‘Live at the Apollo’ stars Hal Cruttenden, Ellie Taylor and Jamali Maddix, ‘Mock the Week’ regular Ed Gamble, double Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Kieran Hodgson, Radio 4 star Sarah Kendall, avant garde comedy hero Simon Munnery and ‘Derek’ star Brian Gittins.

Ben Williams, founder and producer of the festival, said: “This is a huge year for the Wells Comedy Festival in association with Brothers Cider.

"Not only do we welcome proper Somerset cider makers Brothers as our headline sponsor, the festival is nearly doubling in size compared to 2016.”

Tickets are on sale now from www.wellscomfest.com