Sundance Film Festival will bid its hometown of Park City, Utah farewell in 2027, trading it for another mountain town: Boulder, Colorado.
After launching an open bidding process in April of 2024, the film festival has chosen a new hub for indie filmmakers. The festival narrowed down its choices to a top three of Cincinnati, Ohio, Boulder and Salt Lake City last September based on the cities’ “ethos and equity values,” infrastructure and capabilities to host the festival with an emphasis on diversity in filmmaking. Over 100 cities initially pitched themselves.
“This decision was informed by a detailed evaluation of the key components essential to creating our Festival. During the process, it became clear that Boulder is the ideal location in which to build our Festival’s future, marking a key strategic step in its natural evolution,” said Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute Board Chair in a statement.
“Boulder is an art town, tech town, mountain town, and college town. It is a place where the Festival can build and flourish,” added Amanda Kelso, Sundance Institute Acting CEO. “This is the beginning of a bold, new journey as we invite everyone to be part of our community and to be entertained and inspired. We can’t imagine a better fit than Boulder.”
Sundance will be centered in downtown Boulder utilizing a wide array of theaters and venues, and incorporating spaces around the Pearl Street Mall, a pedestrian-only street. Nearby spaces will offer dedicated locations for the community to gather, including select spots on the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder campus.
Sundance founder Robert Redford expressed gratitude to Park City while noting that change was inevitable. “Words cannot express the sincere gratitude I have for Park City, the state of Utah, and all those in the Utah community that have helped to build the organization,” he said. “What we’ve created is remarkably special and defining. As change is inevitable, we must always evolve and grow, which has been at the core of our survival. This move will ensure that the Festival continues its work of risk taking, supporting innovative storytellers, fostering independence, and entertaining and enlightening audiences. I am grateful to the Boulder community for its support, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for the Festival there.”
“The Sundance Film Festival’s move to Boulder, Colorado in 2027 preserves and builds on its four decade journey. Together we continue to create a Festival that acts as a vibrant space for independent films and filmmakers to shine. A place where each January, a community of artists, industry, and audiences can gather to discover what’s new in global storytelling,” said Eugene Hernandez, Sundance Film Festival Director and Head of Public Programming. “This city is ready to embrace emerging and established global storytellers, our staff and volunteers, and, of course, global audiences.”
Colorado governor Jared Polis said the state is “thrilled” to have landed the festival. “Here in our state we celebrate the arts and film industry as a key economic driver, job creator, and important contributor to our thriving culture. Now, with the addition of the iconic Sundance Film Festival, we can expect even more jobs, a huge benefit for our small businesses including stores and restaurants,” he said.
The 2026 iteration of Sundance is still in Park City, but will now mark a goodbye to the small mountain town the festival has called home for 40 years.
