2025 ESL Rochester Fringe Festival: Create Your Fringe Experience

The 2025 ESL Rochester Fringe Festival lights up downtown September 9–20, 2025, with 600+ performances across 30+ venues. Browse the full program and buy tickets on the official site, or plan your days with their new mobile app (iOS and Android) to build a personal schedule and get reminders.

Fringe-Curated Events

Headliners in the Spiegeltent (One Fringe Place)

Rochester’s jewel-box venue from Belgium returns to One Fringe Place (Main & Gibbs, across from Eastman Theatre). The Spiegeltent is wheelchair accessible; arrive early for first-come seating or book a VIP booth for table service. 

• Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out (world premiere) — Aerialists, acrobats, and the deranged comedy duo Matt & Heidi deliver the festival’s signature circus-theatre mashup (most nights, with a Saturday matinee).
• Shotspeare: Titus Andronicus: Shakespeare remixed as a raucous, 90-minute bacchanal. 
• The Event: Award-winning actor David Calvitto’s one-man, razor-sharp deconstruction of theatre. 
• Gospel Sunday (free): A standing-room-only favorite—Reverend Rickey Harvey leads an afternoon of sacred song. 
• Silent Disco (select late nights): Three DJs, three channels—grab the headphones and dance till late. (Heads-up: it sells out.) 
• Drag Me Home: Local legends from RuPaul’s Drag Race battle for the crown—limited tickets. 
• Les Kif-Kif: The Returns Department (Kids Fringe): Physical theatre, magic, and robotics in a playful twin-powered romp. 

Fun in the Spiegelgarden (One Fringe Place)

• Pedestrian Drive-In (nightly): Free outdoor movies with Silent-Disco headphones—first-come seating. 
• TRACES: U.S. premiere tour by Théâtre de L’Entrouvert with 25 Rochesterians joining French ice-puppeteer Élise Vigneron. 
• Submergence: An immersive light environment by Squidsoup—walk-through art made of thousands of points of light. 
• Dashboard Dramas XI: Bite-size theatre performed… in parked cars—only a handful of tickets per show, and it’s already sold out!
• Kids Day (Sat, Sept. 20): A full day downtown for families—Disco Kids, chalk art, pumpkin painting, and more. 

Free Spectacles at Parcel 5

• SPHERE by eVenti Verticali (Friday and Saturday, September 19 and 20, with shows at 7 and 9 p.m.)—a luminous, aerial spectacle direct from Italy; free, no tickets required: food trucks and Fringe bars on site. 
• Jam Side Up!: Twin street-theatre mayhem—flying props and audience antics. 
• Freeze Frame: A Juggling Experience: Juggling, magic, and lots of audience participation. 
• Plus, RPO pop-up concerts in between shows!

Fringe Street Beat at MLK Park

On Saturday, Sept. 20, Fringe Street Beat closes the festival with high-energy 3-on-3 all-styles dance battles—prelims from 12:30–3 p.m. and finals from 3:30–5 p.m. Free to watch. DJ ha-MEEN spins; $1,200 prize on the line. 

My Fringe Picks

What am I most excited to see and do at Fringe, September 9–20? Too much, I’m afraid! That’s why I start planning as soon as the shows are announced. And this year, there’s an app for that!

Each year, I highlight a mix of can’t-miss headliners, inventive indie shows, and a few wild cards I’m intrigued to see. My picks, listed below, balance free and ticketed events, indoors and out—so you can build a Fringe schedule that fits your vibe and budget.

In August, weeks before Fringe begins, I put everything that looks interesting to me on my calendar (yay app!) and then try to whittle down the schedule to what is humanly possible, as there is so much I want to see happening at the same time. Pro tip: add your favorites to the new Fringe app early—popular shows sell out fast.

Tuesday, September 9

• Bushwhacked: Hot and Sweaty (several nights): Spieglegarden
• Jackboxing: The Focus Theater
• Submergence (multiple days): Spiegelgarden
• Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out (multiple shows): Spiegeltent

Wednesday, September 10

• Sinatra—All the Way (free): Java’s Cafe
• Cobbs Hill Consort: The Spirit Room
• Dinner Where Everything Goes Wrong: Salena’s
• Swing Era Live: CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater

Thursday, September 11

• 9/11 Memorial Concert (free): Eastman School of Music: Kilbourn Hall
• 1 Small Lie: Martin Dockery: CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater
• And Now For Something Completely Different: School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre
• Bingo Night: Five in a Row on Memory Lane: Memorial Art Gallery: Bausch & Lomb Parlor
• Bloom – A Multisensory Percussion Experience:  The Hochstein School: Hochstein Performance Hall
• Genesis: School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre
• Nerds in a Basement: The Focus Theater
• Scoulive: Memorial Art Gallery: Sculpture Park Outdoor Tent
• The World is Waiting for the Sunrise: A Sing-along with Maggie Paxson: George Eastman Museum: Dryden Theatre

Friday, September 12

• Eastman Percussion Ensemble (free): Eastman School of Music: Kilbourn Hall
• ROCitecture (free): Rochester Contemporary Art Center: Side Lawn
• The Sights and Sounds District: Austin Steward Plaza
• RPO Performs “HQ” (free): Eastman School of Music: Hatch Recital Hall
• I Am Going To Die (And All They Gave Me Were These Lousy Cupcakes): Memorial Art Gallery: Bausch & Lomb Parlor
• A Middle Earth Press Conference: School of the Arts: Club SOTA
• Misery Loves Company: School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre
• Pedestrian Drive-In (free, Spieglegarden): Wicked
• Shotspeare (multiple days): Spiegeltent

Saturday, September 13

• Script-in-Hand Players (free): Central Library: Kate Gleason Auditorium
• Oz: School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre
• SOTA Cabaret: School of the Arts: Ensemble Theatre
• Sub-Zero Science: Memorial Art Gallery: M&T Bank Ballroom
• EcoVibes–Unfolding Our Future (free): Washington Square Park
• Forest Music (free): Washington Grove
• ROCeltic: The Next Generation: School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre
• A Biscuit Brothers Slightly Crooked, Big-Hearted Salute to the Erie Canal: School of the Arts: Ensemble Theatre
• Catharsis Time!: School of the Arts: Club SOTA
• Demon on the Ward: School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre
• Dresnack and Friends, Greatest Hits from the First and Last Decade: The Little Theatre: Theatre 1
• The Emmett Hughes Band: Memorial Art Gallery: Sculpture Park Outdoor Tent
• The Event: Spiegeltent
• Katie Haverly Live: Memorial Art Gallery: M&T Bank Ballroom
• Róisín Dubh: CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater
• LadySpectra (free): Photo City Music Hall: Photo City Music Hall – Front Stage
• Anthony Prezutti – Comedy Mentalist: CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage
• Chelsea Handler: Kodak Hall
• Silent Disco (multiple days): Spiegeltent

Sunday, September 14

• Gospel Sunday (free): Spiegeltent

Monday, September 15

• Eastman Wind Ensemble (free): Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre
• The Hundred Windows: CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater
• Kirk Knuffke, Ray Anderson, Harold Danko: Bop Shop Records
• Somnia in Musica: The Spirit Room: Bar Room (Elephant)

Tuesday, September 16

• 2 Magic Rubies, 1 Private Eye: A Dirk Darrow Investigation: CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater
• Bashiri Asad & Band: The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room’s Conjure Box
• The Fiddle Witch: The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room’s Conjure Box

Wednesday, September 17

• Eastman Wind Orchestra (free): Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre
• Pedestrian Drive-In (free, Spieglegarden): Trivia CITY: An Arts & Culture Quiz (90 mins.) Join journalists from CITY Magazine as they host an arts, culture, and all-things-Rochester trivia night!
• The Cabinet of Musical Curiosities: The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room’s Conjure Box
• The Geriactors Present: Live From Rochester: MuCCC

Thursday, September 18

• Contra Dancing: The Rose Room
• Spooky Stories in the Stacks (free): Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall
• Pedestrian Drive-In (free, Spieglegarden): RENT starring Rochester’s own Taye Diggs.
• Too Fat for China: CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre

Friday, September 19

• Design X Glass (free): RIT City Art Space: RIT City Art Space (a new space in the Neighborhood of Play!)
• Petals in the Concrete (free): Strangebird Brewery
• SPHERE by eVenti Verticali (free): Parcel 5
• Charming Disaster’s Musical Oracle: School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre

Saturday, September 20

• RITPO – Chamber Music Showcase (free): The Little Theatre: Theatre 1
• Fringe Street Beat (free): Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park
• WADAIKO Performance (free): The Little Theatre: Theatre 1
• SPHERE by eVenti Verticali (free): Parcel 5
• Ukrainian Dance Traditions: CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater
• Velocity: RIT’s Urban Dance Crew: The Little Theatre: Theatre 1

Seriously, with 600+ shows across 30+ venues, and only 12 days, there’s no way I can do all of this! But I have to start somewhere. Wish me luck, and I’ll see you at Fringe!

Create Your Fringe Experience

• Find a Show / Buy Tickets: Browse dates, genres, free events, and venues on the official site. 
• Download the App: Search for “Rochester Fringe Festival” in the App Store or Google Play to build your schedule, get reminders, and navigate venues. 
• Know before you go: Check the website and socials like Facebook and Instagram for weather or schedule updates, especially for outdoor events. 

Which ESL Rochester Fringe Festival shows are you most looking forward to this year?

I’d love to hear from you—please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.