Chelsea Handler Will Serve as Comedy Headliner at Rochester Fringe Festival

Organizers of the 2025 ESL Rochester Fringe Festival announced that comedian, television host and best-selling author Chelsea Handler will be this year’s comedy headliner. Her festival headlining performance will occur on Saturday, September 13 at 8pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 26 Gibbs Street. 

“I thought I’d round out this year with a few new shows considering our country needs a large dose of laughter and medicine right now,” said Chelsea.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, June 20 at 10am local time.

Chelsea Handler is a comedian, television host, and seven-time New York Times best-selling author whose humor and candor have established her as one of the most celebrated voices in entertainment and pop culture. After a strong seven-year run as the host of E!’s top-rated Chelsea Lately, a tenure in which she was the only female late-night talk show host on-air, she launched her documentary series Chelsea Does, followed by her talk show Chelsea on Netflix in 2016. She has penned seven New York Times best-selling books, six of which have reached #1, including her seventh and most recent book I’ll Have What She’s Having, published February 2025.

Following the success of her 2020 HBO Max comedy special Evolution, Chelsea earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Comedy Album. In 2021, she launched her hit iHeart Radio advice podcast, Dear Chelsea. Later that year, she embarked on the Vaccinated and Horny Tour, bringing her sensational stand-up to over 90 cities with 115 shows across North America and winning “The Comedy Act of 2021” at the People’s Choice Awards. Her third Netflix comedy special The Feeling premiered to critical acclaim in March 2025. In February 2025, she continued her celebrated run as host of the Critics’ Choice Awards for the third consecutive year, and most recently wrapped her European standup tour An Abroad Broad. Currently, Handler can be seen at her Las Vegas residency Chelsea at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan, through which she made history as the venue’s first female comedian residency.  

Every year, a major comedian fills the coveted comedy headliner spot to deliver major laughs to a lively, sold-out audience at Rochester Fringe. This year, Chelsea Handler joins a growing list of A-list performers to share their comedy talents (and chops!) at Fringe.

“To have Chelsea Handler as our comedy headliner is beyond epic,” said Festival Producer Erica Fee. “What Chelsea has accomplished in the world of comedy across all mediums is iconic. She is unabashedly herself and an amazing live performer.  I know that Rochester will show up for her in a big way!” 

Prior Fringe comedy headliners have included John Mulaney, Eddie Izzard, Patton Oswalt, Marc Maron, Mike Birbiglia, Tig Notaro and Colin Jost.