A new comedy festival bringing together some of the UK’s biggest names is coming to Brighton.

Brighton Dome is launching the event which it said will “bring joy and community together”.

It will include stand-up comedians including Nish Kuman, Maisie Adam and Kiell Smith-Bynoe as well as clowning classes and workshops.

Rosie Crane, comedy producer at Brighton Dome, said: “I am beyond excited to be launching this brand new comedy festival.

“With events and shows for all tastes and ages, every inch of our beautiful building will be filled with laughter and silliness of all kinds.

“Come draw your own daft portrait, watch the funniest show you’ve ever seen and hopefully leave with both your shoes. It’s going to be epic.”

The festival, which will become an annual part of the Brighton Dome calendar, is the first event of its kind since the restoration of the Grade I and II listed Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre last year.

It will also feature the world premiere of a 20th anniversary exhibition for cult cartoonists Modern Toss.

The exhibition, which is free to attend, will include token-operated art as well as stone sculptures and the chance to be sketched by the artists themselves.

The event will also include late-night screenings of the duo’s films as well as a question and answer session with Modern Toss’s Jon Link.

The festival will also host a special edition of its comedy night, Live At The Brighton Dome, which is headlined by Sara Pascoe and will feature a number of emerging comedians.

There will also be a teenager-friendly event, Live At Brighton Dome Bleeped, which will take place simultaneously next door in the Corn Exchange.

Jason Edge, marketing director at sponsors Mayo Wynne Baxter said: “We are delighted to support the Brighton Dome Comedy Festival.

“Laughter is a powerful antidote to the stresses of everyday life and we believe in the importance of supporting events that bring joy and community together.

“We look forward to sharing in the laughter and entertainment that this event will undoubtedly bring.”

Brighton Comedy Festival will also feature free comedy workshops from the end of September which will be run in partnership with hit Brighton venue Komedia.

Other children’s productions include The Young Comedians Comedy Show, where children can demonstrate the skills they have learned from the workshops, and Gimme Your Left Shoe, an interactive performance by Phil Kay.

The event will also include refugee comedy collective No Direction Home who will perform for the first time outside London.

Alfie Brown, Sophie Duker and Rob Auton will perform their own stand-up sets fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe comedy festival.

All performances will be live captioned in a bid to improve accessibility for audience members.

Brighton is known as one of the comedy capitals of the South Coast and attracts dozens of up-and-coming stand-up performers starting out their careers.

Brighton Comedy Festival takes place from October 24 to 27.