What's New

• 23 February 2010

  Magners Glasgow International Comedy Festival has its biggest year yet

  

  Now in its eighth year and a major part of Scotland's thriving entertainment scene, the Magners Glasgow International Comedy Festival (11 -28 March) is bigger and better than ever before, with 373 shows at present and almost 109,000 tickets available throughout the 18-day event – 5,000 more tickets than in 2009.

  The largest dedicated comedy festival in Europe, this year’s line up will feature the strongest ever international influence to date, with comedians from the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Germany and Ireland joining UK talent along with plenty of home-grown Scottish acts.  This is in part due to the support from Homecoming Scotland, which allowed the Festival to foster strong links within the American comedy scene.

  Big names appearing at the festival include Jimmy Carr, Frankie Boyle, Dara Ó Briain, Paul Merton, Jerry Sadowitz, Lee Mack, Jim Jeffries and Stewart Lee as well as an exclusive premier of the summer's hottest Hollywood blockbuster comedy movie Kick-Ass.

  Top US comic Bill Burr will make his Scottish debut, having taken America by storm with a headline spot alongside Ricky Gervais at the New York Comedy Festival and numerous appearances on the David Letterman and Jay Leno shows.   Burr is leading the way for an influx of top class American acts – 13 in total - including Todd Barry (a stand up who also played Mickey Rourke’s boss in The Wrestler), Marc Maron (host of the US version of Never Mind the Buzzcocks) and Tony Award-winning musical comedian Stephen Lynch (who starred in the lead role in the Broadway adaptation of The Wedding Singer) – almost all of whom have had their own specials on the likes of Comedy Central or HBO.

  Tickets are available by calling 0844 395 4005 or visiting www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com 

  Category: International Events
• 23 February 2010

  859 Hours of Coverage for 2009 O'Neill Coldwater Classic

  

  The 2009 O'Neill Coldwater Classic in Thurso was broadcast around the world for a total of 859 hours.  The massive volume of broadcast included more than 4,000 individual transmissions across six continents.

  The O'Neill Coldwater Classic takes place in Scotland in May and attracts audiences of over 2,000 to watch 150 of the world's best surfers compete off the breathtaking noth Scotland coastline.

  The impressive media coverage showcased Scotland's scenic landscape and enthusiastic crowds around the globe.

  This fantastic news comes only days after it was announced that the SPEA FIM Trial World Championships will be broadcast into 168.4 million households by some of the World’s leading terrestrial and satellite television channels.

  Category: International Events
• 22 February 2010

  Runrig join Hall of Fame and Festival Programme for 2010

  

  One of Scotland's most renowned Gaelic music artists, Runrig, has been confirmed to play at this year's Hebridean Celtic Festival. The news comes as the band are listed as one of the festival's first inductees to its new Hall of Fame.

  This year is the festival's 15th anniversary. It will see Runrig's first performance there since 2005, and be their major Scottish summer show for 2010.  The four days of music, which take place in Stornoway and surrounding communities (14-17 July), will culminate in Runrig headlining the programme on the Saturday night.

  The anniversary also brings the inception of the Hebridean Celtic Festival Hall of Fame.  Festival Director Caroline MacLennan said: "We are delighted to be announcing Runrig for our programme this year, and our Hall of Fame. Runrig will not only provide our audience with a fabulous night out, they will also act as HebCelt ambassadors, taking our reputation as a fantastic festival to other musicians and audiences around the world.

  "We are also inducting the talented Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis and the innovative Peatbog Faeries. All three have been selected for their commitment to our festival, and because of the superb shows each have delivered for our audiences over the years. We are very grateful to have their consent in furthering the good name of the Hebridean Celtic Festival and the stage is well set for a stunning event in July."

  Category: National Events