The Sundance Film Festival is leaving Park City, Utah, after the 2026 event and will relocate to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027.
The festival was originally held in Salt Lake City from 1978 to 1980 as the Utah/US Film Festival before moving to Park City and rebranding as Sundance in 1981. Last April, the festival issued a Request for Information when its contract with Park City came up for renewal.
Variety reports the festival signed a 10-year deal with Boulder’s city government after considering remaining in Utah with events divided between Salt Lake City and Park City, while the option of relocating to Cincinnati was also considered.
Actor/director Robert Redford, the festival’s founder, issued a statement that said, “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 festival’s leadership praised Boulder as being both a college town and a tech hub located in a picturesque setting.
“One of the things that we also thought about is one of Robert Redford’s founding principles, which is this notion of making sure that the festival has a sense of space and a sense of place,” said Amanda Kelso, Sundance Institute’s acting CEO. “One of the things that you’ll see when you walk around [Boulder] is we are surrounded by this breathtaking Flat Iron Mountain Range, and it’s truly an incredible vibe. So when you’re walking from theater to theater, you’ll really get this opportunity to sort of metabolize what you just watched while convening in nature.”
The festival, which is one of the most prestigious events in the film industry, had a profound effect on Park City’s real estate market, for both rental opportunities during the festival and attracting luxury real estate buyers seeking vacation and year-round residences. Nick Booth, a real estate agent in Murray, Utah, posted on social media, “For over 40 years, the Sundance Film Festival has been Park City’s biggest economic driver. It brings in over 120,000 visitors annually and generates $130M+ in economic impact every January. Without it, the city’s real estate market will look very different.”
Photo: Boulder Colorado, courtesy of SLV Native / Flickr Creative Commons
No reason for the move was stated in this article.
Was it that Boulder offered better financial incentives?
Or have politics in Utah vs. Colorado play a role?
I admire Mr. Redford and his efforts to bring innovative films to the fore.
I had read in another article that they had outgrown Park City. Organizers said it was not political. Because they’d been looking for about a year, I believe recent political actions did not have anything to do with it.