Largest Ever Hollywood Fringe Festival Opens Today

The 8th Annual Hollywood Fringe Festival opens today after a week of previews and runs through Sunday, June 25th. The 2017 festival is the biggest it has ever been, with 375 shows and over 2,000 performances. This a 25% increase from last year's record-breaking festival.

The festival officially kicked off last night with the 2017 Opening Night Party at the festival's community space, Fringe Central. Over 1,000 people attended the party, which featured music from members of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, live entertainment, balloon artists, and food from The Greasy Wiener food truck.

Throughout the month, Fringe will host several more parties at Fringe Central (6510 Santa Monica) including Fringe Runway, Fringe Prom: Space!, Fringe Cabaret and the Closing Night Party.

Fringe Central is also the home base for food trucks, Bryan's Bar, and Fringe Concierge - where patrons can get festival assistance and buy merchandise. Fringe Central opens at 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and 2:00 p.m. on weekends. The venue is 18 and up.

The 2017 Hollywood Fringe Festival concludes with an Awards Ceremony to recognize the efforts of hundreds of artists and producers. The awards are community-voted by "Fringers" who purchase tickets or write reviews on the Fringe's website. Past award winners have been granted extended national runs, publication and other successes as a result of their Fringe accomplishments.

The Hollywood Fringe Festival is an annual, open-access, community-derived event celebrating freedom of expression and collaboration in the performing arts community. Each June during the Hollywood Fringe, the arts infiltrate the Hollywood neighborhood: Fully equipped theaters, parks, clubs, churches, restaurants and other unexpected places host hundreds of productions by local, national, and international arts companies and independent performers.

Participation in the Hollywood Fringe is completely open and uncensored. This free-for-all approach underlines the festival's mission to be a platform for artists without the barrier of a curative body. By opening the gates to anyone with a vision, the festival is able to exhibit the most diverse and cutting-edge points-of-view the world has to offer. Additionally, by creating an environment where artists must self-produce their work, the Fringe motivates its participants to cultivate a spirit of entrepreneurialism in the arts. Visit www.HollywoodFringe.org/press for more information.