Pete Davidson to Headline ESL Rochester Fringe Festival Comedy Series

Pete Davidson has been named the 2026 ESL Rochester Fringe Festival Comedy Headliner. The headlining event will occur on Friday, September 25 at 8 p.m. in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.

ABOUT PETE DAVIDSON:

Pete Davidson is a celebrated stand-up comedian, actor, writer and producer. Davidson can be seen weekly on the unfiltered video podcast The Pete Davidson Show on Netflix. He will next be seen 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 Forbes' 30 Under 30 and included in Time's list of the 100 Most Influential People in 2022.

In 2020, Davidson co-wrote, executive produced and starred in the critically acclaimed film The King of Staten Island. Additional film credits include Dumb Money, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Trainwreck, The Suicide Squad, Big Time Adolescence, Set It Up, Meet Cute, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Dog Man, and Riff Raff. This past summer, Davidson starred opposite Eddie Murphy and Keke Palmer in Amazon MGM's The Pickup, which premiered in August. He will next film Killing Satoshi, directed by Doug Liman.

This event will be a phone-free experience. Use of phones, smart watches and accessories, will not be permitted in the performance space. Upon arrival at the venue, all phones, smart watches and accessories will be secured in individual Yondr pouches that will be opened at the end of the event. Guests maintain possession of their devices at all times, and can access them throughout the event only in designated Phone Use Areas within the venue. All devices will be re-secured in Yondr pouches before returning to the performance space. Anyone seen using a device (phone, smart watch or accessories) during the performance will be escorted out of the venue.

A major comedian fills the coveted comedy headliner spot every year to deliver major laughs to a lively, sold-out audience at Rochester Fringe. Prior Fringe comedy headliners have included John Mulaney, Chelsea Handler, Eddie Izzard, Patton Oswalt, Marc Maron, Tig Notaro and Colin Jost.