Melbourne International Comedy Festival

This coming April looks totally foolish with the 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival rolling from the 1st to the 26th of the month - the greatest comedy caper in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Comedy Festival doesn't come cheap on talent, but the tickets are. There's even an extensive free program to suit the most fiscally challenged of punters. Great value laughs are dished out by the most popular of local comics and some very special international guests - from stand-up to theatre, music, film and even visual art.

This year gets off to, not one, but two bangs, starting with The Gala and then followed with more celebrations at The Opening Night Allstars Speccy Comedy Supershow. Then the party just keeps on rolling with three and a half weeks' worth of galactic-sized giggles courtesy of the funniest people in the universe.

There's something to satisfy the tastes of everyone - even the stoniest faced naysayers - incorporating the likes of little tykes over the school holidays right through to the midnight schmoozers who can't get enough of a good thing.