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 classic comedy club protocol, this event will be a phone-free experience. Upon arrival at the venue, all phones, smart watches and accessories will be secured in individual Yondr pouches that will remain with patrons but cannot be opened until the end of the event.
Pete Davidson is a celebrated stand-up comedian, actor, writer and producer who can be seen weekly on the unfiltered video podcast “The Pete Davidson Show” on Netflix. He will next appear in “How to Rob a Bank,” directed by David Leitch for Amazon MGM Studios and set to be released in September 2026. Davidson is also the creator, executive producer, writer and star of “Bupkis,” the critically acclaimed comedy series on Peacock inspired by his own life.
From 2014 to 2022, Davidson was a cast member on “Saturday Night Live,” becoming one of the youngest performers in the show’s history. His signature “Weekend Update” segments and original music videos earned widespread attention and viral success. He has released multiple comedy specials, including “Turbo Fonzarelli” (2023) and “Pete Davidson: Alive From New York” (2020), both on Netflix, following his Comedy Central debut in 2016. He was named to the “Forbes” 30 Under 30 list and included in the “Time” list of the 100 Most Influential People in 2022. Romantically, the comedian has famously been linked to Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale and Kim Kardashian.
Currently in its 15th year, the annual Rochester Fringe Festival has hosted some of the world’s top comedians as headliners, including John Mulaney, Chelsea Handler, Eddie Izzard, Patton Oswalt, Marc Maron, Tig Notaro and Colin Jost.
The award-winning, 12-day Rochester Fringe Festival was named by The New York Times as “one of the country’s more prominent multidisciplinary events” in September 2023. The Fringe has become the largest multidisciplinary performing arts festival in New York State and one of the most attended Fringe Festivals in the United States. More than 7,000 performances and events have taken place at the Fringe since its inception in 2012.
The full lineup for the 15th annual Rochester Fringe, which runs September 15-26, will be announced on Tuesday, July 14 at 11 a.m. in the Dryden Theatre at George Eastman Museum. Hundreds of performances will take place, featuring comedy, theatre, dance, music, film and more. Tickets for all Fringe performances will go on sale that day at 12 p.m. rochesterfringe.com
