The Rochester Fringe Festival, a major annual event in Upstate New York, is set to feature comedian Chelsea Handler as the headliner for its 2025 festival. Scheduled for Saturday, September 13, at 8 p.m. at Kodak Hall in Eastman Theatre, Handler’s performance is expected to bring plenty of laughs to attendees.
Tickets for this much-anticipated event will be available for purchase starting at 10 a.m. EST on June 20. Fans can buy tickets through the festival’s website or directly at the Eastman Theatre Box Office.
Chelsea Handler, a seven-time best-selling author and well-known comedian and TV host, will join a celebrated lineup of previous Rochester Fringe headliners that include names like John Mulaney, Eddie Izzard, and Patton Oswalt. In a press statement, Handler expressed the importance of laughter, noting, “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.”
Now in its 14th year, the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival is recognized as one of the largest multidisciplinary fringe festivals in the United States and the first of its kind in Upstate New York. The festival showcases an eclectic mix of performances, from comedy and dance to music and visual arts. This year’s festival will run from September 9 to September 20, featuring over 125 shows, many of which will be free for festival-goers, with a selection of ticketed events. A complete schedule is anticipated to be released on July 16.
This festival not only highlights the arts but also fosters community engagement and joy, promising to deliver entertainment that is both diverse and uplifting.