The Sundance Film Festival has officially found its new home.
The Sundance Institute has announced that the popular festival will now be held in Boulder, Colorado, starting in 2027. The institute’s board of trustees described Boulder as offering “small town charm with an engaged community, distinctive natural beauty, and a vibrant arts scene, making it the ideal location for the Festival to grow.” Boulder hosts a number of theaters, venues, and event spaces around the pedestrian-only Pearl Street Mall. The University of Colorado’s Boulder campus also offers several places for Sundance to set up camp.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Visit Boulder CEO Charlene Hoffman are both excited to have Sundance call Boulder its new home.
“Colorado is thrilled to welcome the Sundance Film Festival to its new home in Boulder starting in 2027,” Polis said. “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. Thank you to the Sundance Institute and all of the partners like the City of Boulder, Visit Boulder, the Boulder Chamber of Commerce, and I also want to thank the bipartisan legislators and leadership who have worked tirelessly to make this possible.”
“We are deeply honored that Boulder has been selected to host the Sundance Film Festival starting in 2027,” added Hoffman. “Creativity, innovation, and expression are at the heart of what makes Boulder special, and we’re ready to welcome storytellers and cinema lovers from around the world. Our walkable downtown, iconic venues, and beautiful landscape at the base of the Rocky Mountains sets the stage for the Sundance Film Festival to flourish in its next chapter. It’s been a remarkable experience getting to share our vibrant community with the Sundance Institute and we eagerly await the Festival’s debut in beautiful Boulder, Colorado with excitement and gratitude.”
Why Boulder?
Board Chair Ebs Burnough said in a statement that the decision to relocate to Boulder came about after “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,” Burnough said. “We have a profound appreciation for the finalist cities and their communities — including Boulder, Colorado, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Salt Lake City, Utah — who presented overwhelmingly strong proposals and dedicated their time, passion, and commitment every step of the way. We have deep respect and gratitude to these communities for their hard work and partnership throughout the past year. Additionally, we sincerely value the steadfast support from our staff and board as we have ventured on this exploration together.”
Reflecting on Park City’s legacy
The other members of the board also talked about the move and showing thanks to the festival’s current home, Park City, Utah, for giving Sundance a place to flourish.
Robert Redford, actor and Sundance Institute President and Founder, said how Boulder will continue the work Park City started.
“I founded the Sundance Institute with a commitment to discovering and developing independent artists, with the Sundance Film Festival serving as the platform for stories to help expand audiences and broaden the landscape,” Redford said. “That mission remains even more critical today and will continue to be our core principle. 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. 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.”
Sundance leaders look ahead to the festival’s future
“The Sundance Film Festival is a catalyst for innovation, creative expression, and the discovery of groundbreaking independent films that inspire and shape the future of storytelling. This process provided the opportunity to imagine how we design the Festival while staying true to our programming and mission. We extend our appreciation to the staff, artists, partners, volunteers, and audiences who have and continue to support that mission,” added Sundance Institute Acting CEO Amanda Kelso. “Boulder is an art town, tech town, mountain town, and college town. It is a place where the Festival can build and flourish. 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 Film Festival director’s thoughts
The film festival’s director and public programming head, Eugene Hernandez, also said how Boulder’s amenities will allow Sundance to best serve film lovers who want to see what new generations of directors have to offer.
“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,” he said. “This city is ready to embrace emerging and established global storytellers, our staff and volunteers, and, of course, global audiences. Whether you are a Sundance Film Festival regular, or someone who has dreamed of experiencing the Festival in person, we invite you to join us in January 2026 in Utah and then come along to nearby Colorado in 2027.”
