News Release: Sundance Film Festival selects Boulder, Colorado as its new home

The Sundance Institute has announced that the 2027 festival will be held in Boulder, Colorado, making the 2026 festival the last in Park City, for now. 

As written on the Sundance Institute’s website, “We envision the heart of the Festival 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 our community to gather, including select spots on the nearby University of Colorado (CU) Boulder campus.”  

There were two other finalist cities for the festival, one being Cincinnati, Ohio and the other being Park City. 

“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. 

Park City has been the host of the festival for the past 40 years, and the city has voiced they are proud of the work done by the Utah Bid Committee in their attempts to keep the festival in Utah.

“Frankly, I don’t know if there is anything else we could have done,” wrote Park City Mayor Nann Worel in an official statement. “Sundance’s departure marks the end of an incredible era, but not the end of Park City’s magic.” 

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis shared his excitement for bringing the festival to Colorado. 

“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,” Polis said. 

At the time of publication, it is unclear how many years the festival is to remain in Boulder.