Three Years of Laughs: Comedy Citadel Just Keeps Getting Bigger

Katie Coy, Managing Editor | Apr 16, 2026 4:30 pm | Add a comment | 17 reads

When the Comedy Citadel was founded back in 2023 by Beijing-based comedian Donnie Fan and Chengdu-based comedian Nico TooMuch, they had big plans for Beijing's English comedy scene. Three years later, the comedy club now has its own dedicated theater where they hold weekly comedy events, has hosted numerous big-name comedians from both China and abroad and is about to put on its biggest show to date. Safe to say that these big plans have certainly come to fruition.

This Saturday (Apr 18) will see the Comedy Citadel present Halfie-Baby, Donnie Fan's 90-minute headline show in a 200-person theater, a first for the comedy club. Ahead of the show, we reached out to Fan to find out more about how the Citadel has changed three years on, what people can expect from his show and how the English comedy scene in Beijing has developed in recent years.

The Comedy Citadel has been going for three years now and is just about to put on its biggest show to date. What does it mean to you to be able to put on a show of this size?
It's a cliché that it's been a lot of blood, sweat and tears. We don't want to count our chickens before they hatch. Who knows, maybe nobody will show up for it! But the hours that are put into the craft of stand-up are already enormous.

Trying to run a club that is fulfilling for literally people of every different type of personality with different motivations and needs and keep a community thriving as well as advancing is really difficult! It's a constant question that my business partner/comedy partner/friend Nico TooMuch ask ourselves. But after three years and evolving from one show a month to multiple shows a week, the question is, can we bring comedy to scale in Beijing? If we can't, then what are we doing! So, if this show is successful, we will actually be able to continue getting even bigger acts than the ones we've had in the past. Hopefully the community can show out for us!

Can you tell us a bit more about your show this weekend, what it involves, and how it has developed over time?
Halfie-Baby (混血宝宝 in Chinese) is my 90-minute special. It's really just a lot of comedy about my life in China, as a stand-up comedian, as someone who is mixed race but also still trying to find love in my mid-thirties and constantly trying to bridge culture gaps. I am really vulnerable and sincere on stage, but of course, I try to inject the biggest laughs I possibly can.

The show has really changed from my first one in 2021 in terms of how much I've evolved since then. I spent my first three years in comedy going full-speed, but after having surgery to remove two tumors from my face back in April 2025, I've really tried to slow down and take care of my health and I've found that's given me a lot of new appreciation towards my craft, the work I do, and what I'm trying to put out into the world.

Here are some topics you are going to get at my show: growing up mixed, growing up with a single mother, questions of identity, and overcoming a major illness. Lots of fish-out-of-water situations in other cities in China and different countries around the world, terrible dating experiences and even worse advice, and just generally a lot of good laughs!

When people ask how my comedy style can be defined, I say that these comics are all way better than me, but I'm highly, highly influenced by Mike Birbiglia's narrative storytelling, John Mulaney's incredible call-back structure, and Russell Peter's ability to jump between cultural confusion.

Moving away from this weekend's show, Comedy Citadel now hosts regular comedy performances, can you tell us a bit about what the weekly schedule normally looks like?
Right! We have shows and open mics every single week! One guarantee is that we will have a headline show every Saturday night at 7.30pm and when we have special guests from around the world, we'll often do multiple headliners over the weekend. We also have a flex of open mics on showcases on Friday Nights and Saturday afternoons. To know exactly when you will be able to see a show, it's best to follow our official account, where we post the events every week. (Follow our official WeChat: Comedy Citadel or 城堡喜剧)

What have been some of the Citadel's biggest achievements in its three years?
Our single biggest achievement has been not folding or giving up. The culture for comedy has been wild since the Citadel began. From some big struggles within the Beijing comedy scene in the beginning, to us trying to navigate a constant rotation of comics coming either in or out of the scene. I feel really proud that we've been able to just stay consistent and be a haven for people who love comedy and just want to go have fun on the weekend.

I always wanted to bring a NYC style of comedy to China. I think we've done that. Also, of course, we've brought in tons of extremely great talent in the last few years, and that can't be overstated! Also, our comedy bootcamps have been really successful with a lot of comics from the bootcamps now even performing regularly overseas!

Are there any particular shows or comedians who've performed with the Comedy Citadel that you're particularly proud of?
Comedy Citadel kicked off with Dawn Wong! That was amazing back in 2023. We've had Kavin Jay multiple times (Netflix) Graham Elwood (Netflix, HBO, etc) Dr. Dee, Ian Badenhorst, and a lot of other great comics. But really, we're looking forward to July when some of our internal comics will get the chance to host their first headliners, and also hopefully, Comedy Citadel as a club will get a chance to start touring China as well.

How do you think the Citadel has shaped the English comedy scene in Beijing over the past three years?
When I started stand-up comedy in China, people told me nobody would take an English comedian in China seriously. I proved them wrong when I started touring my headline show internationally. Then I started a comedy club. And people told me it's impossible to have a full-time English Comedy club. Well, we proved them wrong.

A major driving force for me as a club-owner these years has been to fight for legitimacy. To tell people that Beijing has the best English comedy in China and that our comics here aren't "funny for China" but that we actually have professional comedy here worthy of your attention. When a lot of comics come through here, especially our invited guests from overseas, they're always so impressed by the bar that our audience holds the comics to. They have to be good, or they can't survive. That might be intimidating for some, but it's exciting for others. I never ever wanted people to think we're just a glorified English corner. I want them to know that when you come to The Comedy Citadel, you're coming to see a real comedy show. I think we've done really well in establishing that culture.

Are there any upcoming special shows or guest comedians that people should watch out for?
Gosh, I would love to answer this! But right now, we actually have some really exciting things in the pipeline, but we have to keep them under wraps because bringing in comics from overseas has a long approval process. But we'd love for people to come out and support our local headliners and our open mics! Follow The Comedy Citadel's WeChat or add our WeChat: CHENGBAOXIJU to find out more.

Lastly, if there are any comedians out there in Beijing looking to get involved in the Citadel, how can they do so?
We do run comedy bootcamps so people can join in if they're interested in taking comedy seriously! But also, anybody can jump on an open mic. Just add our WeChat (ID: Chengbaoxiju), let us know you're interested, and we'll gladly invite you into our community! All are welcome!

"Halfie-Baby" will be taking place at Nanyang Hutong #6 on Sat, Apr 18 from 7.30pm. Early bird tickets are RMB 88 and regular tickets are RMB 108. You can purchase tickets by scanning the QR code in the poster above.

To keep up to date with more upcoming shows at the Comedy Citadel, you can scan the QR code below to follow their official WeChat.