"After over 40 years, the Sundance Film Festival has had its last hurrah in Park City, Utah, this week. The yearly film festival is arguably the country's premier event for independent filmmakers, drawing nearly 100 feature films every year that often snag major distribution deals (the SF-set film "The Invite" reportedly just sold for over $10 million). In 2025, the festival attracted 85,472 attendees, an increase of 17% year over year. But come 2027, those attendees - and the $196.1 million they spent - will be heading elsewhere."
""I wouldn't say [it's] crushing. We made our best effort to keep it, but we've also had Sundance around in town long enough that we know Sundance's challenges really well," Mayor Ryan Dickey told SFGATE."
"Dickey, himself a longtime attendee of the festival, says the city is not worried about a budget shortfall, or considering cutting any services. Even if Sundance chose to stay in Utah, the state's proposal was to move the festival's epicenter to Salt Lake City, using Park City as a satellite site for special events (currently Salt Lake City hosts some screenings, but seldom has premieres). The state proposed a free bus service running every 30 minutes, 18 hours a day to help bridge the gap between the two cities."
The Sundance Film Festival will move from Park City, Utah, to Boulder, Colorado in 2027 after a competitive bidding process. The festival draws nearly 100 feature films annually and attracted 85,472 attendees in 2025, a 17% increase, generating about $196.1 million in local spending. A joint Salt Lake City–Park City bid was a finalist. Park City Mayor Ryan Dickey said the city is not facing a budget shortfall and does not plan service cuts. The state proposed moving the festival epicenter to Salt Lake City with Park City as a satellite and providing a frequent free shuttle.
Read at SFGATE
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