Founder Ben Hill started trying to organize a local fringe festival not long after he moved to Los Angeles from Iowa City in 2007.[4][5] He and other organizers launched the first Hollywood Fringe Festival in the summer of 2010.[1][6] That year, there were 130 shows in the festival.[7]
The shows are not curated (selected based on merit).[5] To perform, one must pay a registration fee[4] and be ready with a concept and the means to produce it.[7] The festival organizers market the event and provide some support, but the theatre companies must find their own venues and market their own shows.[7]
In the 2012 festival, theatre companies produced more than 230 shows and gave more than 1,000 performances.[1] Companies participating in the 2014 festival produced more than 300 shows.[7]
In 2018, the Hollywood Fringe Festival was one of the filming locations for the trivia game show Buzz'd Out!.[8]
Approximately 56,000 tickets sold were sold for the 2016 festival, which drew an estimated $447,000 in revenue. All revenue from ticket sales is paid to the artists and venues.[9]
