What do you do when you love stand-up comedy but don't have enough time to head to the Edinburgh Fringe? The answer is fiendishly simple. Go to Suffolk this weekend and enjoy the Latitude Festival. It lasts for three-and-a-bit days and as well as seeing more bands than you can shake the proverbial stick at – including Nick Cave, Grace Jones, Pet Shop Boys and an acoustic Thom Yorke – you can get enough of a comedy fix to last you the entire summer.

If 2008 was the year that comedy invaded rock festivals (remember Booshfest?) 2009 is the year that it settles into a nice groove. Latitude is easily the best of the bunch (though the Big Chill is also pretty good), programming three solid days of stand-up from Noon until early evening. The sets are often pleasingly short - from 20 - 40 minutes. Perfect comedy tasters. If you don't like one another will be along soon. And if you do like the acts you'll pay to see them gig in their own right in future.

If anything one could argue that there is too much comedy at Latitude, with the acts spilling over more than ever into the cabaret, poetry and theatre tents. This may be a good thing though. Last year's comedy tent was so rammed that it was frequently impossible to get into. Ross Noble famously overcame this problem by leaving the tent and performing a 2000-strong conga in the direction of a vegetarian sausage stall.

So who are this years highlights to set the dawn alarm for and bag a good patch of grass? And what if you miss these? Don't worry, there is some much good stuff on just have a wander, you are bound to find something you like.

Friday
Shappi Khorsandi, who just gets better and better every time she is on telly,  unstoppable joke machine Tim Vine, rabble rouser Mark Thomas plus nutty sketch combo Pappy's fun Club in the Literary Tent. Obscure tips? Weird dance act New Art Club in the Cabaret Arena and prankster Richard DeDomenici in the Film Tent. Poetry lovers should catch versifying boyband Aisle 16 throughout the weekend in the Poetry Tent. 

Saturday
Intellectual geezer Russell Kane, Googlewhacker Dave Gorman, Larry Sanders Show US cult Janeane Garofalo and indie legend Sean Hughes . Try to catch Pippa Evans in the Cabaret Arena and maybe heckle cabinet minister Ed Miliband who will be talking after a screening of Age of Stupid in the Film Tent. Plus Lily's dad Keith Allen in the Literary Arena. 

Sunday
Exquisite misanthrope Jon Richardson, sublime Sean Lock and sick, twisted Andrew Lawrence, who you'll either love or loathe. And don't miss Frank Skinner chatting in the Literary Tent or Danielle Ward and Martin White's brilliantly star-studded singalong Karaoke Circus in the Cabaret Arena. 

Monday
Recover.