Founded in 1959 by Hugh Hefner as the Playboy Jazz Festival, it was held in Chicago but did not recur until 1979, when the venue was moved to the Hollywood Bowl.

The event is organized by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, which presents the summer Hollywood Bowl concerts.

However, the festival did not occur again until 1979, when the Hollywood Bowl played host in Los Angeles in celebration of the magazine's 25th anniversary.

[6] The Festival is broadcast live by the Southern California jazz public radio station KKJZ.

[7][8] In November 2021 the name was changed to "Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival" effective June 2022.