Pete Davidson will headline the 2026 ESL Rochester Fringe Festival, which unveiled its full lineup Tuesday and put tickets on sale for its 15th anniversary season.
The 12-day festival, running Sept. 15-26, will feature more than 715 performances ranging from comedy and music to dance, circus arts, theater and family-friendly entertainment. Organizers say this year’s Fringe will include returning favorites, festival debuts and global premieres across dozens of venues downtown — offering something for all ages and abilities.
Founding Festival Producer and CEO Erica Fee joined sponsors, venue owners and performers at the Dryden Theatre in the George Eastman Museum for the unveiling of the 2026 ESL Rochester Fringe Festival‘s complete lineup.
“It does take a city to raise a Fringe,” Fee said. She is very grateful to the festival team, volunteers, sponsors, and performers for investing their time in bringing Fringe to life.
With the return of the Spiegeltent and the adjacent Spiegelgarden, guests will have access to a variety of art installations and outdoor performances. Some things festivalgoers can expect to enjoy at the Spiegeltent include:
Cirque du Fringe: Anchors Away
Thomas Warfield: Let the Music Heal You
Les Enfants Terribles: A Gameshow for Awful Children
In order to raise funds to officially purchase the Spiegeltent, festival organizers are offering the opportunity to purchase a branded floorboard. Festivalgoers can purchase a branded floorboard that will go on display each time the tent is built for performances.
“Each is made of French oak and will support the feet of artists and shows of years to come.” honorary co-chair, Jennifer Leonard said. “When we own our Spiegeltent, we’ll be able to rent it beyond Rochester. Resulting in new revenue that will be invested right back into our Festival here.”
Focus on accessibility
ESL Rochester Fringe’s partnership with the Mary Cariola Center and local venues aims to improve accessibility.
Each venue includes varying types of access including physical access, accommodations, sign language interpretation, and captioning. The majority of Fringe venues this year are ADA accessible with One Fringe Place being accessible to wheelchairs and motorized scooters.
Festival organizers plan to make improvements as needed each year. Attendees can email [email protected] for questions or assistance with a particular venue’s accessibility.
Accessibility information is noted for each venue online at rochesterfringe.com.
Festival highlights & fan favorites
Fringe-goers can look forward to returning crowd favorites, including:
Pedestrian Drive-In at the Spiegelgarden
New this year, I Love NY is the official sponsor of Circus in the City, a series of free outdoor performances in celebration of contemporary circus. Some performers include FLIP Fabrique from Québec, aerial artists Aloft, Circus EVO, and more.
Circus in the City will take place from 5-10 p.m. on Sep. 18 and Sep. 19. There will be shows at Parcel 5, located at 284 E. Main St. and outdoors on Gibbs Street. Exact performance times and locations for each company will be announced closer to the festival
Headliner: Pete Davidson
Stand-up comedian, writer and actor Pete Davidson will headline the festival’s comedy offerings.
Davidson began a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2014 to 2022, becoming one of the youngest performers in the show’s history. His “Weekend Update” segments and original music videos earned widespread attention and viral success.
Davidson is currently starring in the unfiltered video podcast The Pete Davidson Show on Netflix and will soon appear on the big screen in How to Rob a Bank, directed by David Leitch for Amazon MGM Studios and set to be released in September.
Free Fringe events: Week One
While some performances are ticketed (starting at $15), many shows are free. Here are a few scheduled for the first week:
Sept. 15
Bennie Jaye “Polishing My Craft” Songs Set to Poems by Martha Kelch
Fine Art and Fabulous Paper with Bill Finewood
Sept. 16
Sept. 17
A Young Man Dressed as a Gorilla Dressed as an Old Man Sits Rocking in a Rocking Chair for Fifty-Six Minutes and Then Leaves
Sept. 18
15 Things You Didn’t Know About Bigfoot
Family-Friendly Day: Saturday, September 26
Kids Day takes over Fringe on the final Saturday with:
Also that day, from 12:30-5 p.m., Street Beat — the regional hip-hop dance competition — will take place in MLK Park at 353 Court St.
There will be kid-friendly activities and shows available each day during the 12-day festival.
Festival location & tickets
Tickets and the official 2026 Fringe Guide are now on sale. Tickets for shows will vary in price; however, guests will also be able to enjoy free installations, activities, and performances.
The 2026 ESL Rochester Fringe Festival will be centered at One Fringe Place, at the corner of Main Street and Gibbs Street, near the Eastman Theatre.
Tickets are available:
In person at the Fringe Box Office (Main & Gibbs, across from Eastman Theatre) and all venues
By phone at (585) 957-9837
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This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Pete Davidson, 715 shows headline Rochester Fringe Festival lineup
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