Holly Lombardo is the co-founder and managing director of World Fringe, a Britain-based organization that helps Fringe Festivals all over the world do better and be better. We caught up with Holly recently and asked her all the “Fringe things” we most wanted to know. She obviously knows them.

1. What inspired you to work to create your organization?

World Fringe was born from a very personal journey. Back in 2002, I founded and managed Brighton Fringe, building it from the ground up, while also running a venue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe each August. It was an incredibly formative time. I started to notice others like me, people leading Fringe festivals with passion but often in isolation. I became obsessed with finding more of them, learning from them, and connecting us all. 

Artists began coming to me with questions: Where should I tour next? Who should I connect with? I had become a go-to person for Fringe knowledge and touring strategy. There was clearly a need, not just for information, but for connection. So I started building what would eventually become World Fringe.

I’m a natural connector and big-picture thinker, and I saw the potential for an ecosystem: a place where knowledge, resources, and energy could be shared freely across borders. So I created World Fringe to bring festival producers together, to foster mutual support, and to elevate the global Fringe movement. It’s about sustainability, collaboration, and celebrating the grassroots creativity that drives this sector. Shortly after, Cath Mattos joined the team and we have been working collaboratively on it ever since.

Today, World Fringe has hosted 7 World Fringe Congresses, celebrated 8 World Fringe Days, and continues to grow each year in both breadth and depth. We now see deeper connections between festivals and artists, partnerships, and resources being shared across continents. It’s become a truly global community, all starting with a desire to connect. 

2. What are the most important or most appreciated services your group offers to “members”?

We call them Global Fringe Leaders, or simply, Fringe family , and they now span over 300 festivals across the world. The most valued part of World Fringe is the connectivity, camaraderie, and the spaces for sharing we’ve intentionally created. It’s a platform for collaboration, learning, and mutual support. 

We offer peer-to-peer mentoring, global visibility, strategic advice, and opportunities for deeper dialogue, like the World Fringe Congress and World Fringe Day. Whether we’re helping a brand new festival find its feet, supporting an established one through change, or instigating cross-border partnerships and regional networks, our role is about holding space and facilitating exchange. 

One of the things I’m most proud of is how World Fringe has helped raise the profile of Fringe as a powerful space for innovation, talent discovery, and community development. Fringe is now rightly seen as the start of the creative food chain, where the stars of tomorrow are born, and where bold, socially resonant work emerges. 

Through a collective effort, we’ve helped transform how Fringe is perceived globally: no longer seen as the “poor cousin” to curated international festivals, but as one of the most vibrant, inclusive, and exciting platforms for new work, touring, and learning. Fringe festivals are catalysts of art and social change , open to everyone, known for quality work, marketplaces of ideas, and spaces of experimentation. And World Fringe has played a key role in getting that recognition on the map. 

3. How do festivals join your group? Requirements? Annual dues?

World Fringe is an open, inclusive network, designed to connect and empower rather than gatekeep. There’s no formal membership fee, but many festivals choose to support us through donations or sponsorship, helping to sustain the work we do across the global Fringe ecosystem. To join, festivals must align with our Fringe ethos , a commitment to openness, accessibility, artistic freedom, and community engagement. We have a Code of Conduct that underpins our values of collective respect and support.

We welcome festivals that are either structured around a Fringe model, open access or artist-led , or that embody the spirit of Fringe in their approach. You can find more about what defines a “Fringe” festival on our website. What is a Fringe? It’s not about size or budget, it’s about values, and about creating space for creative risk, inclusion, and community.

4. Some festivals have come and gone, including two favorite cities of mine, Athens and Budapest. What do you think makes a Fringe that will last?

A sobering statistic is that while there are around 300 active Fringe festivals today, since founding World Fringe, we’ve seen a nearly equal number come and go. For every new Fringe that lights up a city, another turns off. It’s a reminder that Fringes are as fragile as they are vital.

Fringes usually begin where there’s a cultural void, places where artists lack access to platforms, and where passion and urgency drive people to create something from nothing. I always say, “Where there’s a gap, a Fringe will pour in.” These festivals are often born from volunteer energy, sheer determination, and a deep belief in the power of community-led creativity. 

But that same passion can also be a risk. Many Fringes take on the personality and energy of their founder, and when that person burns out or moves on, without succession plans or structural support, the Fringe can dissolve. This is especially true in volunteer-run organizations or festivals built on goodwill but not on long-term infrastructure. 

Longevity comes from community-rootedness and adaptability. The Fringes that last are those that:
Listen deeply to their artists, audiences, and communities,
Understand the local cultural and political landscape,
Embrace evolution, changing formats, structures, and partnerships as needed,
And above all, grow beyond ego and build for the future. 

It’s never just about ticket sales. It’s about cultural relevance, ecosystem care, and sustainable leadership. Fringes are living organisms, and the strongest ones are those that are nourished by many hands, not just one.

 Here’s some context on growth: In the 1940s–60s, only a handful of Fringes existed.The 2000s saw a surge, with over 40 new festivals started. Since World Fringe launched in 2007, a further 158 have opened globally. But here’s what’s often overlooked: 1 in 3 Fringe festivals close. So, we celebrate growth, but we also work hard to support sustainability, succession, and care within the global Fringe community. 

5. What do you think makes a great Fringe festival? How might your group help festivals be or become that?

A great Fringe is one that invites everyone in. It’s deeply rooted in its community, yet constantly evolving , responding to changing cultural, political, economic, and creative climates. These are festivals that work in partnership with artists, audiences, local businesses, and civic communities. They create platforms for bold ideas, champion underrepresented voices, and bring joy, disruption, and dialogue into public spaces. 

At their best, Fringe festivals are the canaries in the mine, sensing what’s coming next and reflecting society back at itself. They’re not afraid to take risks, to stand up for what they believe in, and to bring fresh perspectives to entrenched challenges.

Fringe festivals are storytellers, creators of change, and leaders of innovation. What they produce is often more accessible, greener, and more equitably diverse than large-scale commercial festivals, not because it’s fashionable, but because it’s intrinsic to the Fringe ethos. It’s how we operate , with resourcefulness, creativity, and care. We have to do it differently. 

World Fringe supports this greatness by helping festivals strengthen their foundations , we foster international learning and exchange, provide practical toolkits, and advocate for the recognition of Fringe as a vital sector. We help festivals see the big picture and locate themselves within a global movement, rather than standing alone. 

We also offer real, grounded support , from mentorship, to matchmaking with touring companies or sister festivals, to finding innovative funding routes through cultural institutions, government support, philanthropy, cultural exchanges, and sponsorship. Every Fringe is brilliant in its own way , but the ones that stand out are those that embrace innovation, stay open, and remain deeply connected to their communities and values. 

6. Early on, you all started staging Fringe Festivals around the world with managers and directors. What were the biggest surprises you’ve heard or learned along the way?

One of the biggest surprises, and greatest joys has been discovering just how similar the challenges and triumphs are, no matter where in the world a Fringe festival exists. Watching Fringe leaders from different continents realise they’re not alone. That someone across the globe is facing the same dilemmas and asking the same questions, it’s incredibly moving. 

I often hear from people that World Fringe changed their life. Sometimes it’s the reinvigoration of purpose, the opportunity to travel, a new friendship, a festival partnership, or simply feeling seen and supported in this very particular line of work. That is unbelievably rewarding and something I never take for granted. It’s also a responsibility to maintain this incredible network with care and commitment, alongside my colleague Cath Mattos, who’s been my partner-in-Fringe-crime since the very beginning. 

What people might not expect is just how practical and emotional this role is. Fringe producers everywhere are grappling with the same big questions: How do we stay accessible? How do we survive financially? How do we support our artists while balancing risk? And even, “Which insurance company do you use?” 

From the philosophical to the logistical, they need a space to share, to stay motivated, and to keep their energy and passion alive. And through it all, I’ve learned that while we can learn so much from each other, local context is everything, and the best solutions always come from within the communities we serve.

 What has surprised me most, or perhaps affirmed something I always felt, is how deeply emotional this work is. Fringe is a labor of love. The passion, resilience, and creativity of Fringe producers constantly inspires me. I always end my talks by asking them: What motivates you? Why do you do what you do? And the answers are never about money or prestige. It’s always about people, impact, change. These are the leaders who change lives, launch careers, shape cultural and political dialogue, and they’ll also be the last ones to leave and the first to clean the toilets. It’s exhausting, overwhelming, and utterly magical. 

What motivates me is seeing that light of passion ignite in someone else, and being part of a global network of people who do this work not because they have to, but because they can’t not. I get to lead the best leaders in the world, and honestly, who wouldn’t want to be in a room with those people?