Pete Davidson and Colin Jost Put Their Ferry on the Comedy Map

Pete Davidson and Colin Jost have moved their famous ferry purchase from punchline to working venue. The comedians hosted a free, one-night stand-up show aboard the decommissioned John F. Kennedy, offering the clearest preview yet of what their floating entertainment project could become.

A four-year idea finally meets an audience

Davidson, Jost and fellow investors bought the former Staten Island Ferry at a city auction in 2022 for $280,000. The vessel, built in 1965 and retired after decades in service, immediately inspired jokes about repair costs and the practical challenge of turning an old commuter boat into a destination.

On September 17, the project became tangible. A beverage-brand partnership transformed the ship into a temporary comedy club at Pier 17, with a 60-minute show produced alongside The Stand Group. Limited tickets were released free of charge in pairs during the days leading up to the event.

Comedy inside a familiar New York landmark

Davidson and Jost opened the evening, acknowledging the skepticism that followed their purchase before handing the room to a lineup of stand-up performers. Variety’s account from inside the ferry described a packed main cabin and an overflow space carrying a live video feed from the stage.

The venue still felt experimental. The cabin was warm, the stage was compact and the hosts joked openly about not having every detail solved. That unfinished quality became part of the show’s appeal: a retired piece of New York transit was functioning as a comedy room, even if it had not yet become the polished attraction envisioned when the group bought it.

What the show proved

The event was announced as a one-off rather than a permanent opening, so the ferry’s long-term schedule remains unsettled. Still, the night answered the central question surrounding the purchase: the vessel can hold an audience, support a live program and create the kind of unusual setting Davidson and Jost originally described.

For the two Staten Island natives, the test run also connected their comedy careers to a local landmark in a literal way. The next challenge is larger than producing one sponsored show — converting that successful experiment into a repeatable venue without losing the eccentric charm that made people curious in the first place.