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Pete Davidson, Colin Jost to host free comedy show on their Staten Island Ferry
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Sep 1, 2026
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By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Sep 1, 2026
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The decommissioned Staten Island Ferry purchased by “Saturday Night Live” comedians Pete Davidson and Colin Jost is hosting a one-night-only stand-up show.
The one-hour floating comedy event will take place aboard the vessel, the John F. Kennedy, on Thursday, Sept. 17. Davidson and Jost will host, and there will be sets from six yet-to-be-announced “emerging talents,” per a press release.
The event is being put on in collaboration with Snapple, which is branding the waterborne laugh fest the "Snapple Island Ferry" comedy club. The Stand Group, whose founder and comedy club owner Paul Italia co-purchased the ferry with Davidson and Jost, is producing the event.
A limited number of free tickets are being distributed online daily at 3 p.m. Eastern time from Sept. 3 to 8. Tickets are limited to one pair per person.
Come showtime, attendees will converge at South Street Seaport’s Pier 17.
“Turning the ferry into a floating comedy club with Snapple makes more sense than anything else we considered, and it still doesn't make much sense," Davidson said in a press release and video. “You know how the boat usually delivers you to work? Guess what, it’s delivering you to nowhere.”
Staten Islanders Davidson and Jost purchased the ferry with Italia for $280,000 at a 2022 city auction. They were reportedly “very stoned” at the time, Davidson said in a 2023 interview, adding, “I have no idea what’s going on with that thing.”
The vessel was built in the mid-1960s and was the oldest Staten Island ferry in use when it was retired due to mechanical issues in 2021.
While the decommissioned ferry has yet to become a more than a hilarious ongoing news cycle and presumed money pit, let alone a bona fide nightlife venue, the Snapple Island Ferry will not be the first event it hosts: A Tommy Hilfiger runway show took place on board in 2024.
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Hannah Frishberg
Hannah Frishberg covers New York City arts and culture. Got a tip? Email Hannah at [email protected].
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