The Sundance Institute has announced its decision to relocate the renowned film festival to Boulder, Colorado, aiming for growth in a setting that promises better infrastructure to accommodate studios, filmmakers, artists, and critics.
The new ten-year contract includes million in tax incentives. The festival’s previous host city, Park City, Utah, has benefited from an estimated 2 million annual economic impact, which also supported over 1,700 local jobs that will now be affected by the relocation.
“Boulder is a city of art, technology, mountains, and colleges,” stated Amanda Kelso, CEO of Sundance Institute, in a statement. “It is a place where the festival can grow and flourish. This marks the beginning of a new and bold journey where we invite everyone to join our community, to be entertained and inspired,” she emphasized.
In its search for a new post-pandemic home, the festival initiated a nationwide call for proposals and announced last September that Utah, Colorado, and Ohio were the finalists.
The selection of Boulder, located in the Democrat-led state of Colorado, comes amid legislative efforts in Republican-led Utah to ban the LGBTQ+ flag from government buildings, municipal halls, schools, and other public spaces.
State congressman Daniel McCay, a proponent of this legislative package, recently criticized the festival on social media, accusing Sundance of producing pornography and asserting that it no longer fit within Utah.
The festival organizers had highlighted inclusion and accessibility as guiding principles in their request for new proposals.
Republican Governor of Utah, Spencer Cox, reportedly made efforts until the last moment to keep the festival in Utah. Following the decision to move to Boulder, Cox expressed his disappointment on social media, writing, “I believe it’s a mistake and that one day you will realize you’ve left behind not just a place, but your heritage.” He hinted at the creation of a new festival to fill Sundance’s absence in Utah.
Festival founder Robert Redford remarked that “change is inevitable” and that Sundance will continue to take risks, support innovative storytellers, and foster independence.
In announcing the move, the organization highlighted that Boulder’s “welcoming environment” aligns with the Sundance spirit: “to grow with a community rooted in independent thinking, artistic exploration, and social impact.”
The next edition of Sundance is scheduled to take place from January 22 to February 1, 2026, marking the last time the festival will be held in Park City.
