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Hello Sundance Film Festival and Institute Alums,
Almost a year ago, we shared with you that we began a search for a new location for the Sundance Film Festival beginning in 2027. This process had a singular goal: to continue building upon the artist-centered, audience-engaging, and inviting experience that has been the heart of the Festival for over 40 years. Today, we’re excited to share with you the culmination of that search.
The Festival was founded by Robert Redford as a beacon for independent filmmakers and storytellers to showcase bold, risk-taking stories, and for audiences to discover new films and artists. This vision is realized thanks to the stories you have shared and the integral role you’ve played in shaping the Festival into the extraordinary experience it is today. Throughout this journey, we’ve kept you, our alumni, at the top of our minds.
After thoughtful and thorough exploration, we are excited to announce that Boulder, Colorado will be the future home of the Sundance Film Festival beginning in 2027.
This is a significant moment for the Institute, and we can’t wait to share more about our vision for 2027 and beyond — especially how we’ll be partnering with Boulder to cultivate a vibrant and inclusive community and inspire new audiences to engage with the powerful stories we continue to spotlight by artists and collaborators like you.
With a thriving arts community, Boulder has dynamic audiences for the variety of programming the Festival curates. It offers small-town charm with an engaging community, natural beauty, unique theaters and venues, and a vibrant cultural scene. It is an art town, tech town, mountain town, and college town. It is a place where the Festival can build and flourish. Boulder is a place where independent thought, artistic exploration, and social impact are deeply valued.
The heart of the Festival will be located downtown with a wide array of theaters and venues, and will include spaces near the Pearl Street Mall — a pedestrian-only street with restaurants and cafes. Other nearby locations will offer dedicated spaces for our community — including spots on the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder campus and more — all in view of the majestic Rocky Mountains. The Festival will work with the host committee to enhance infrastructure and accommodation options, ensuring that Sundance Film Festival attendees can gather and celebrate independent storytelling in an affordable and sustainable way — key to allowing independent films to shine and maintaining access for our community.
Boulder’s host committee is committed to collaborating with us to bring our storytelling community — audiences, volunteers, the independent film industry, and you, our artists — together for a warm, inclusive, accessible, enriching, and fun Festival experience. They have demonstrated a deep understanding of our ethos, aligning with our core values and presenting exciting possibilities for the Festival's future.
While we’re ready to embark on this next adventure together, please know that leaving Park City was not an easy decision. Salt Lake City and Cincinnati both presented exciting possibilities for the Festival’s future, each having a rich history of supporting their thriving artistic communities in unique ways. Throughout this process, we’ve had the privilege of engaging with public officials, arts and film advocates, and local leaders, who were generous with their time and whose insights have played a key role in shaping our vision. We are deeply grateful to everyone who participated in these conversations and for the dedication shown by all. At its core, this process has been about preserving a space where independent films and storytelling can shine, and the cultural moments they create are celebrated.
We also know that many of you have cherished memories of Park City, and those moments will always remain a key part of the Festival's legacy. The Institute’s Board of Trustees and leadership is confident that this decision aligns with the spirit of what Robert Redford envisioned over 40 years ago. We’re not just confident — we’re excited! Excited that the Sundance Institute’s vision remains as strong as ever, and excited that you will join us in forging new paths in our new location.
The 2026 Sundance Film Festival will take place in Park City and Salt Lake City from January 22 to February 1, 2026, and will then move to Boulder beginning in 2027. As this transition unfolds, we will continue to keep you updated on future developments and encourage you to stay tuned for more details.
We fully recognize the significance of this moment and look forward to the partnership with Boulder and the state of Colorado. We remain deeply motivated by our commitment to ensuring the Festival that we built together continues to thrive both culturally and operationally for many decades to come. We began as a platform for the discovery of new voices, talent, and stories. That is who we are, and even as we evolve, that will remain unchanged.
Finally, on behalf of our founder Robert Redford, the Board, and the leadership team, we want to thank each and every one of you for your patience, grace, and thoughtfulness throughout this process. You are crucial to the identity and success of our Festival, and to our mission.
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