The 15th annual ESL Rochester Fringe Festival kicks off Tuesday, Sept. 15. One of the largest Fringes in the country happens right here for 12 days each year. But with more than 700 shows, it can be tough for attendees to choose what to experience. Pro tip: there’s a handy show finder right on the […]
Rochester Fringe Festival
Posted inRochester Fringe Festival
Five drag nuns walk into a gay bar in standout Fringe premiere ‘Mass Drag’
The photo of James Lopata’s parents meeting Pope John Paul II hangs near his front door but somehow doesn’t command attention. Lopata’s paternal grandmother grew up with John Paul in Wadowice, Poland, so he had a family connection. When he mentions the pin his mother wore to greet the pontiff, the scene becomes downright revolutionary. […]
Posted inRochester Fringe Festival
Pete Davidson announced as ESL Rochester Fringe Festival comedy headliner
Ahead of the full lineup reveal on July 14, Rochester Fringe Festival announced today that popular comedian Pete Davidson would headline the 12-day festival with a stand-up show at Kodak Hall on Friday, September 25 at 8 p.m. Tickets begin at $52.50 for the 18+ show and are on sale now at rochesterfringe.com. Taking a cue from […]
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Applications open February 17 for the 15th annual ESL Rochester Fringe Festival
Performers are invited to submit their shows through March 11 for the multidisciplinary fest, which takes place September 15-26.
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Rochester Fringe Festival returns for its 14th year, with plans for the future
Every circus needs a tent. The centerpiece of the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival is the Spiegeltent, a type of gorgeously mirrored entertainment venue handmade by only a handful of families in Belgium. Set up at East Main and Gibbs streets (aka One Fringe Place), it houses some of the fest’s most popular events, including the […]
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CITY reviews Rochester Fringe
Our take on “Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out,” “Submergence,” “Tarot Cabaret” and more.
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CITY’s Fringe picks
Stuff we’re jazzed to see, in case you want some recs.
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“50 Shades of Gay” brings a decade of sold-out spectacle to Fringe
In an unironically rainbow-sequined shirt, Ike Avelli beams on a Zoom call while discussing his upcoming ESL Rochester Fringe Festival performance, “50 Shades of Gay.” For the past decade, Avelli has spearheaded the sketch-comedy variety show that blends stand-up, drag, music and spectacle into a dazzling celebration of LGBTQ+ talent. “Here, you get the best […]
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Interactive Fringe show “The Estate Sale” melds thrifting and theater
Part comedy show, part thrifting adventure, interactive play “The Estate Sale” will be performed twice as part of the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival on Sunday, Sept. 14 at School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre. Performed and co-written by comedian Kelly Dee, the one-woman show encourages audience participation, allowing crowd members to name their price […]
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A dancer’s creative rebirth through krump
Ashley Alondra Green ran around her Syracuse home at midnight on April 9, yelling and clapping. She couldn’t believe she’d been chosen to debut her full-length choreography at the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival — it was time to tell her story of rebirth, from what was nearly the end of her dance career. Green has […]
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Comedian Chelsea Handler makes her Fringe debut on September 13
Armed with sharp wit, unapologetic humor and new Netflix special, stand-up comedian Chelsea Handler will land in Rochester this month to headline Rochester Fringe Festival’s opening weekend with a one-night-only performance on Saturday, September 13. “I think my new hour is perfectly suited for a festival like this,” Handler said in a recent phone interview. […]
Posted inSpecial Sections
Rochester Fringe Festival reveals 2025 lineup
Highlights of the 14th annual fest, which runs Sept. 9-20, include a world premiere Cirque show in the Spiegeltent and the return of free programming at Parcel 5.
