Comedyclub Wicked Groningen: why comedians are now traveling to the North
In the basement of Wijck, on the Grote Markt, you’ll find Comedyclub Wicked: the newest and fastest-growing comedy club in the Netherlands. Since opening, Wicked has grown into a permanent fixture for stand-up comedy in Groningen — not only for audiences, but remarkably enough also for comedians.
Where Northern talent used to travel to Amsterdam and Rotterdam for years, comedians are now traveling to Groningen instead. Why? We spoke with founders Rico Bakker and Gijs Nillessen about the origin of Wicked, the name, and their ambition to build a professional comedy hub in the North.
Comedyclub Wicked: where exactly are we?
You walk down the stairs at Wijck, into the basement. The lights turn on. Even before the first joke, you feel: this is not a standard night out.
“Where are we?” “At Comedyclub Wicked,” comes the answer. “The funniest place in the city.” Wicked is not a theater and not a comedy café. It is a real comedy club: a place where comedians test material, build evenings, and sometimes completely crash — only to return a week later with a better joke. That is exactly what this place is meant for.
Why this Comedy Club is called ‘Wicked’
Rico and Gijs spent the entire summer coming up with the name Wicked. Literally thousands of names were considered. Credit for the final name goes to Rico. Many evenings were spent brainstorming with friends, and after one last brainstorm there were still a few names left. That night Rico couldn’t sleep and thought: no, this isn’t it. It has to be Wicked after all. Wicked and Wijck fit together perfectly by name, and on top of that Wicked stands for ‘bad and good at the same time’, and ‘a wicked mind’ is especially fitting for comedy.
Curious? Check out here the program of Wicked Comedy Club in Groningen.
From a text message to a comedy club in Groningen
The idea for Comedyclub Wicked Groningen was born in early 2025. “On February 3 we texted for the first time about a comedy club,” founder Rico Bakker says. “And a few months later we were open.” Together with Gijs, who himself had been on stage for years, a completely new and successful comedy concept was set up in a short time. The two first met during an EventSummit at Ahoy where Gijs was booked as host. Later they got to know each other better because they both work as speakers, presenters, or moderators in the events industry. When Rico later posted a message on LinkedIn saying he wanted to do something with a theater show and comedy, Gijs reached out and they happened to run into each other at a party hosted by a mutual friend. Gijs immediately saw that Rico’s challenge of creating a full-length show would not be easy. At that time, Gijs had already created two shows and wanted to give Rico some tips. This resulted in a kind of comedy class at Bax Bier with about ten people. And that’s when the comedy spark really reignited for Gijs as well. After the final performance at Bax, conversations started about bringing comedy structurally to the city of Groningen. But at that moment, there was of course still no location.
Thank you, stomach flu
The fact that Comedyclub Wicked ended up in the basement of Wijck is largely coincidence — and also a funny story.
Rico ended up at a networking event he normally never would have attended — he was originally supposed to see Kasper van der Laan that evening, but it was postponed. The reason? Stomach flu. At that event he heard that Wijck was looking for new concepts for their basement. And that turned out to be exactly the space you want for live comedy. Sometimes good ideas don’t come from planning, but because something else falls through. In September, the doors of Wicked opened and the collaboration with Wijck has been great. In addition to the comedy nights, there is another clear mission: developing Northern comedy talent. Open Mics are organized on Mondays, where talent from all over the country can perform, and lessons are given to young comedians from the North. “That step between practicing and actually performing at an Open Mic is a big one.”
If you’re reading this now and thinking, I’m pretty funny at a birthday party — well, there’s quite a hurdle between being funny at a birthday and being funny with a microphone on a stage. With a series of lessons, Rico and Gijs prepare people to take part in an Open Mic. And of course, there’s also the ambition to train a professional comedian and offer them a professional stage in Groningen, instead of having to travel to Amsterdam or Rotterdam.
The reverse effect: comedians travel to Groningen
By now, dozens of shows have been played and many more are scheduled. Fast? Absolutely. Coincidental? Quite. What nobody really saw coming happened almost immediately. The Open Mics at Comedyclub Wicked are often fully booked within two minutes; in fact, there are sometimes more than 40 sign-ups. Not only from talent in the North, but also from comedians from Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht. “Some of them travel six hours. For eight minutes of stage time. Then you know someone really wants it,” they say. And it immediately creates a new puzzle: how do you choose who gets to perform? How do you make sure Northern talent continues to get space, while the rest of the country is also knocking on the door? It’s a luxury problem — but one that’s taken very seriously.
These nights make Comedyclub Wicked a permanent place for live stand-up comedy in Groningen.
There are different nights featuring various types of comedy.
- Open Mic nights: on these nights, comedians try out new material. You might get a ‘hit’ or a ‘miss’. The audience sometimes has to get used to this. One night can be very different from another, both in quality and experience. This is intentional. Wicked wants to create an ecosystem where professionals and starting comedians can perform.
- Line Up nights: a stand-up comedy night with around 4 or 5 comedians, hosted by an MC.
- Double bills: two comedians each perform 45 minutes. This is the build-up for a starting comedian working toward a full-length show. With doubles, it gets really interesting after about 25 minutes. Does it dip, or does it become an upward spiral?
- Solo night: every now and then there is a solo night, but Wicked is very selective about these — it really has to be special. In May this year there will be an English-language solo, and that will be very special.
How do you build a good comedy night?
For the audience, a comedy night often feels effortless. But good programming is anything but simple. You don’t want five similar stories in a row.
No dip halfway through. No ending that collapses. On line-up nights, comedians usually perform for 15 to 20 minutes. That may sound manageable, but in that time span everything has to be right. With double shows — two times 45 minutes — something else happens. “After 25 minutes it gets exciting,” they explain. “That’s when the comedian’s initial energy is gone. Then depth has to come.” And that’s exactly where you see who’s ready for the next step.
No taboos, but balance
With stand-up comedy in Groningen as programmed by Wicked, there are no content taboos. Creators are free to say whatever they want. They are not selected based on content.
What is important is balance. Variety in stories, styles, and perspectives. For example, you don’t want five comedians all talking about their struggle with fatherhood. So the focus isn’t on content, but on the structure of an evening. Ultimately, the audience decides — if it’s too boring or too crude, you’ll notice.
Why a six-second joke can take months of work
Perhaps the most underestimated part of comedy: time. A six-second joke can take months of work. Six minutes on stage can mean six months of writing, cutting, testing, and failing. And even then, that joke might be gone again the very next night.
On Monday nights at Comedyclub Wicked, you can see that process live. At Open Mics, new material is tested. Sometimes it works immediately. Sometimes not at all. And sometimes you see a joke that later appears in a sold-out theater. That is exactly the ecosystem Wicked wants to be.
A comedy club built for comedians
What sets Comedyclub Wicked Groningen apart is that the club is designed from the comedian’s perspective. Comedians arrive early, eat together at Wijck, stick around, and continue working on their material. No rush. No walk-on-and-leave. “If they feel safe,” Rico and Gijs say, “the audience will follow automatically.” And so far, that seems to be the case.
Big names and unexpected performances
In addition to new talent, well-known comedians also take the stage at Wicked. Sometimes announced, sometimes completely unexpected. It happens that a big name is sitting in the back of the room — and suddenly steps on stage at the end. This has happened before with Theo Maassen and Guido Weijers. At Wicked, you never quite know what you’re going to get. And that’s exactly the charm. Watch the full interview below.
Visiting Comedyclub Wicked in Groningen
Comedyclub Wicked is located in the basement of Wijck, on the Grote Markt. The club programs multiple nights per week and shows often sell out quickly. Want to know which shows are coming up? Check the StayinGroningen event calendar for current comedy shows, stand-up comedy in Groningen, and upcoming events at Comedyclub WickedWant to stay up to date? Wicked also has an active WhatsApp community. And of course you don’t want to miss that special solo show in May, so check everything here via the buttons!
