“Let’s Go!” New York State’s largest multidisciplinary performing arts
festival celebrates its 15th season!
Tuesday, September 15 – Saturday, September 26
- Featuring 715 performances of 297 productions at 45 venues in just 12 days
- 2,500 artists take center stage at this year’s Fringe
- Largest-ever outdoor circus activation in Western New York
- Returning favorites, festival debuts and U.S. premieres abound
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The ESL Rochester Fringe Festival opens today, offering 12 days of nonstop entertainment and creative energy. There are more than 715 performances of 297 productions at 45 venues. This includes returning favorites, festival debuts and major U.S. premieres of Children’s, Comedy, Dance, Multidisciplinary & Circus, Music, Spoken Word, Theatre, and Visual Arts & Film. The festival runs through Saturday, September 26.
Now in its 15th season, Fringe has become one of the largest, most successful, and most prominent fringe festivals in the nation, the largest multidisciplinary performing arts festivals in New York State, and one of the region’s most anticipated festivals each year. More than 2,500 artists will find a home on and around Rochester stages. Fringe offers a range of performances from emerging artists to superstars, whose accolades and acclaim place them at the top of their craft.
“We are officially kicking off season 15 on the 15th (of September),” said Erica Fee, who is the CEO and Founding Festival Producer responsible for bringing Fringe to Rochester years ago. “It has been an incredible journey watching the Fringe in our city become a destination for incredible talent, open-minded audiences and innovative projects. It’s collaboration, community and creativity at its best!”
The festival hub is at One Fringe Place on the corner of Main and Gibbs Streets across from Eastman Theatre. The urban pop-up lounge is home to the Spiegeltent, Dawn’s Spiegelgarden and The Garden Studio, which is a new performing arts space this year. Also, are nearby festival venues Parcel 5 and Gibbs Streets. There are 45 venues throughout Rochester, including traditional theater style venues and non-traditional venues for site-specific shows. Make sure to visit the Theatre Bar in Dawn’s Spiegelgarden at One Fringe Place, and at Fringe bars at Parcel 5, to try the newly released, first-ever official Fringe Whiskey, created by Finger Lakes Distilling, as well as the official festival beer: Three Heads Brewing x Rochester Fringe Pumpkin Spice Latte Ale. A portion of all sales will be donated back to the Fringe to support its free, accessible programming during the festival.
Fringe is a non-profit organization with a mission to offer platforms for artists, new audiences for venues, and unparalleled public access to incredible art. Festivals help drive the local economy with festival goers supporting local bars, restaurants, accommodations, parking facilities and beyond.
Production highlights from the 2026 Fringe include:
- CIRCUS IN THE CITY brings the first-ever large-scale collection of outdoor circus performances to Western New York.
- Features internationally renowned circus artists: FLIP FABRIQUE, ALOFT, BIG TEETH COLLECTIVE, CIRCUS EVO and 3AM CIRCUS.
- Award-winning performances by MARCEL LUCONT’S WHINE LIST, JUST TO BE CLOSE TO YOU and TEA PARTY AT THE END OF THE WORLD.
- PETE DAVIDSON to headline Fringe as comedy headliner.
- World premiere of CIRQUE DU FRINGE: ANCHORS AWAY!
- Appearance by the cult hit: A YOUNG MAN DRESSED AS A GORILLA DRESSED AS AN OLD MAN SITS ROCKING IN A ROCKING CHAIR FOR FIFTY-SIX MINUTES AND LEAVES.
Festival-goers are encouraged to support their favorite artists and local venues, as well as try something new! The Fringe is a “choose your own adventure” experience where you get the freedom to see the types of things you know you like, but also be curious, and try new things. Many shows have already sold out and many others have very limited tickets remaining.
“We urge people to purchase their tickets as soon as possible,” added Fee. “And, make sure to also take advantage of the free programming. Public access to world-class art is very important to us and nearly a quarter of the 715 performances are free.”
The free, public spectacle in the heart of downtown Rochester this year is CIRCUS IN THE CITY – Western New York’s largest-ever outdoor circus activation! Festival-goers will experience acclaimed contemporary circus artists from across North America, including FLIP Fabrique from Québec, aerial innovators Aloft, the fearless artistry of Circus EVO, the whimsical world of Big Teeth Collective, 3AM Circus, and more as they take over the Parcel 5 and Gibbs Street with unforgettable moments around every corner. The event takes place outdoors on Friday, September 18 and Saturday, September 19 at Parcel 5 (285 East Main Street) from 5 – 10 p.m. and on Gibbs Street (between East and Main Streets) from 5 – 9pm. There will be food trucks and bar services available. CIRCUS IN THE CITY is made possible through a Market New York grant awarded by Empire State Development and I LOVE NY, New York State’s Division of Tourism.
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, Pete Davidson joins a growing list of A-list performers to share their comedy talents (and chops!) at Fringe. Prior Fringe comedy headliners have included John Mulaney, Eddie Izzard, Chelsea Handler, Patton Oswalt, Marc Maron, Mike Birbiglia, Tig Notaro and Colin Jost. Davidson is a famed comedian, writer and actor known for his unforgettable characters on Saturday Night Live‘s “Weekend Update,” his unfiltered video podcast The Pete Davidson Show on Netflix, and the critically acclaimed Peacock series Bupkis, which is based on his real life. Fringe presents a one-night-only evening with Pete Davidson in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre on Friday, September 25.
The Spiegeltent is a rare, jewel box theater presenting one of the most unique settings to experience theater arts and take in some of the wildest shows Fringe has in the lineup. This year’s Spiegeltent lineup includes one performance only of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival cult hit, 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. Of the experience, Edinburgh Evening News says, “The gorilla is obviously crucial to the event.” The show is scheduled for Thursday, September 17 at 9 p.m. in the Spiegeltent. People are encouraged to turn up early, as admission is free and seating is on a first come basis.
Premieres and debuts are anticipated each year at Fringe. From the creators of the total-sell out hits Cirque du Fringe: Varieté, Afterglow, and D’Illusion, comes the Spiegeltent’s hottest ticket: the world premiere of Cirque du Fringe: Anchors Away! This is a night of murder mystery and dazzling acts set on the high seas created by Las Vegas legends and Fringe favorites Matt and Heidi Morgan. From America’s Got Talent to Cirque du Soleil and from Las Vegas’s Absinthe, to Broadway and beyond, this highly skilled and seasoned cast of performers are coming from all over the world to present a show you won’t want to miss. This includes the newly added world-known Rolla Bolla artist Jonathan Rinny, who is a 4th generation circus performer from Argentina, and who currently holds the Guinness World Record for the longest time to balance on an ascending and descending Rolla Bolla stack.
The multi-award-deserving deadpan Frenchman is back in the Spiegeltent with his acclaimed interactive, late-night show Marcel Lucont’s Whine List. In it, he serves up a unique Whine List from the audience’s past woes and misdemeanors. A kind of group therapy experience, but one where everybody will probably leave more depressed. As seen on BBC1’s “The John Bishop Show,” Comedy Central’s “Live At The Comedy Store,” and Sky Atlantic’s “Set List.” Marcel Lucont will also present an international Fringe family-favorite, Marcel Lucont: Les Enfants Terribles—a Gameshow for Awful Children.
Award-winning performers and shows to headline The Garden Studio, which is a second performing arts space that has been added to Dawn’s Spiegelgarden at One Fringe Place and offers a more intimate environment for shows. 2026 Fringe highlights in The Garden Studio include: Just to Be Close to You by Cam Poter in a 10x award-winning contemporary clown show featuring dreamy lounge-singer, Carl Poteraychke. In 2026, the show was awarded Best of Fringe New Zealand Fringe and Audience Choice Award Clown at Denver Fringe. Equal parts absurdist idiocy and heartfelt longing, the show combines contemporary clown, character comedy, and audience interaction for a night designed to tickle the senses. The artistry of creator and performer Jessica Creane is on full display with Tea Party at the End of the World, after a total sellout at the La Jolla Playhouse’s WOW Festival in San Diego. This show is a small-audience, multi-sensory experience inviting participants to remain playful in dire circumstances. Guests of this intimate, interactive tea party are presented with exquisite tea and parlor games and a little contemplation of what happens when the world as we know it starts to disappear. Inspired by the creator’s time in the Arctic Circle, the ritual comfort of loose-leaf tea, and the unfathomable cost that being alive in a beautiful and disappearing world, exacts on our ability to connect and find purpose. A reviewer describes the experience as “A kind of magical rite” and there are only 30 tickets per performance.
When it comes to Fringe, there is always more to see, hear and feel. Fringe is bringing back past favorites—Silent Disco, Dashboard Dramas and Pedestrian Drive-In in the Spiegelgarden. Other new highlights include Judy Garland is Fat at Carnegie Hall, which features NYC-based drag artists Xena Fauxbia (Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin) and Soda Pressed (Adin Lenahan), as they resurrect “the greatest night in show business history” through a messy, virtuosic, experimental lip-sync extravaganza. Shotspeare is back with an adaptation of Othello, which takes the world’s most beloved playwright, soaks him in beer, and flips him on his head. Also, catch a special, one-night-only performance by beloved artisan, philanthropist, educator and performer Thomas Warfield in Thomas Warfield: Let the Music Heal You.
The Fringe embraces immersive, unorthodox theatre and its ability to engage audiences in unexpected and often far-reaching ways. This year, the site-specific shows take place across the city of Rochester in parks, forests, campers, along canal trails and in storefront windows. Be sure to check out an all-new immersive experience—Bushwhacked: Tim and Pammy Shea’s Pamper Camper—where people will be blessed by the radiant chaos of this revival of laughter inside one joyful little trailer.
Fringe also offers programming for people of all ages, including families and children. Some family-favorite annual events, include Kids Day, which takes place on a National Day of Play this year on Saturday, September 26, with chalk art, pumpkin painting and Disco Kids; Street Beat regional all-styles and breakdancing dance competition at MLK Park on Saturday, September 26; and, Gospel Sunday on Sunday, September 20 in the Spiegeltent.
Nearly a quarter of the Fringe’s more than 715 performances and 297 productions are completely free. Read a digital version of the official 2026 FRINGE GUIDE or check here to see where people can pick up a physical copy locally.
The Fringe takes place September 15 – 26. Tickets to all shows are available online at rochesterfringe.com, via phone at (585) 957-9837 (additional phone fees apply), via the Rochester Fringe Festival App, which is available for download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, in person at the Justin L. Vigdor Fringe Box Office at One Fringe Place (corner of Main & Gibbs Streets), and at the doors of all venues one hour before curtain
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ABOUT THE ESL ROCHESTER FRINGE FESTIVAL:
The 12-day ESL Rochester Fringe Festival is one of the nation’s largest fringe festivals and has been recognized by the New York Times as “one of the country’s more prominent multidisciplinary events.” It is also New York State’s largest performing arts festival and the current winner, three years running, of CITY Magazine’s Best of Rochester Award for Best Arts Event. This year, the Fringe celebrates its 15th season. Nearly a million people have attended more than 7,000 performances and events at the Fringe since its inception in 2012. The non-profit organization’s mission is to offer platforms for artists, new audiences for venues, and unparalleled public access to incredible art. It strives to be diverse and inclusive, as well as to stimulate downtown Rochester culturally and economically. The Fringe showcases the work of regional, national, and international artists from emerging to superstar. Audiences at Fringe also have the rare opportunity to attend a performance at the Spiegeltent, which is one of the most unique performing arts venues in the world.
ABOUT ESL:
With more than 100 years of locally owned history, ESL Federal Credit Union serves as a full-service financial institution to more than 465,000 members and 18,800 businesses. Founded in 1920, the company provides personal banking, business banking, mortgage services and wealth management services through its locally based 33-branch network; telephone, mobile and online banking; and live chat center. The Rochester-based financial institution employs more than 1,000 people in the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region and holds more than $10.8 billion in assets. Since 1996, ESL has paid out 30 consecutive years of Owners’ Dividends to its members totaling more than $350 million. Since the creation of its Community Impact initiative in 2018, ESL has reinvested more than $182 million in grants throughout the community. The company has appeared on Great Place to Work® lists since 2010. ESL Federal Credit Union is headquartered at 225 Chestnut Street, in Rochester, and can be found online at www.esl.org.
ESL ROCHESTER FRINGE SPONSORS:
ESL; I LOVE NY; Ames Amzalak Memorial Trust; Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation; Rochester Area Community Foundation; 7Crest Financial Partners; Dr. Dawn F. Lipson; Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation; New York State Council on the Arts; National Endowment for the Arts, City of Rochester; Monroe County; University of Rochester; RIT; Mary Mulligan Trust; Elaine P. and Richard U. Wilson Foundation; Louis S. and Molly B. Wolk Foundation; Konar Enterprises; Golisano Foundation; The Rubens Family Foundation; Constellation Brands; Mi Campo Tequila; Lake Beverage; The Inn on Broadway; Hyatt Regency Rochester; Nazareth University; St. John Fisher University; Monroe Community College; The Pike Company; Hamilton A/V; Wilkins RV; McCarthy Tents & Events; Broccolo Tree & Lawn Care; Aspire Transformation Services; CSL Plasma; Liccardi Radio Services; Finger Lakes Distilling; Visit Rochester; University of Rochester Medicine Orthopedics & Physical Performance; The Spindler Family Foundation; The Harley School; Wegmans; City Blue Imaging; Canandaigua National Bank; Yelp!; AdHouse Productions, Walk Up Advertising, Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC and House of Guitars.
2026 FRINGE VENUES:
Aerial Arts of Rochester, Austin Steward Plaza, Biltmore Bar & Lounge, Blackfriars Theatre, Bop Shop Records, Centerstage Theatre at the JCC, Central Library of Rochester, Century Club at the Strathallan, Downtown United Presbyterian Church, Delmonico and Dugdale, Eastman School of Music, The Focus Theater, Garth Fagan Dance Studio, Genesee Valley Park, George Eastman Museum, Gibbs Street, The Harley School, The Hochstein School, Java’s, Joseph Ave Arts and Culture Alliance at the Lincoln Library, Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, La Marketa at the International Plaza, Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, Memorial Art Gallery, Mt. Hope Cemetery, MuCCC, Parcel 5, Photo City Music Hall, The Little, RIT City Art Space, RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium, RMSC: Garden of Fragrance, ROC Cinema, Roc City Circus, Rochester Contemporary Art Center, The Rose Room, Salena’s, School of the Arts, Dawn’s Spiegelgarden, Spiegeltent, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, University of Rochester – Sloan Performing Arts Center, Vanni’s Jazz Lounge at the Inn on Broadway and Washington Grove.
ABOUT FRINGE FESTIVALS:
In 1947, eight theatre groups showed up – uninvited – to perform at the newly established Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland. Although not listed in the official program, the groups performed anyway, at venues they found for themselves. The following year, a Scottish journalist coined the term “festival fringe” to describe these non-curated shows that began turning up annually. The Edinburgh Fringe is now the world’s largest arts festival and the third largest event after the Olympics and the World Cup. Today, there are more than 250 Fringe Festivals worldwide, with nearly 50 in the United States. The ESL Rochester Fringe Festival was the first in Upstate New York.
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SOURCE Rochester Fringe Festival, Inc.
