The third Qingdao Comedy Festival will take place from Sept 19 to 28 in Shinan, Qingdao's historic urban area, bringing comedy performances into century-old courtyard compounds, streets and public spaces.

This year's festival will include 81 performances featuring 26 forms of comedy, including stand-up, improv, theater, manzai-style duo comedy and mime.

International participants include Denmark's Paolo Nani Teater and Australia's Loading Zone Comedy. Major Chinese comedy groups, along with local performers, will also take part.

A key feature this year is the festival's expansion from a single street into a larger performance district with two distinct zones.

An area enclosed by Hebei Road, Beijing Road, and nearby roads will focus on immersive theater, with stand-up, plays and improv shows staged inside historic liyuan buildings.

Sifang Road and Huangdao Road, meanwhile, will offer a more dynamic street-performance zone featuring carnivals and open-air shows. Visitors will be able to watch performances while walking through the neighborhood.

Liyuan are traditional courtyard residential compounds characteristic of Qingdao's old neighborhoods. By bringing performances into these historic spaces, the festival is supporting the city's efforts to add new cultural experiences to its old urban area and encourage visitors to explore its streets and architecture.

As a major annual comedy event in China, the Qingdao Comedy Festival draws large crowds to its outdoor performances. [Photo/WeChat account: qdweishinan]