The Sundance Film Festival, the largest independent film festival in the United States, will move to Boulder in 2027, the organization announced Thursday. The 10-year deal is expected to bring tens of thousands of visitors to the area each winter, boosting revenue for local businesses during a traditionally slow season and placing Boulder at the center of a globally recognized cultural event.
In its announcement, the Sundance Institute cited Boulder’s proximity to the Rocky Mountains, arts scene and welcoming environment as key reasons for selecting the city as its next host. Founded in 1978 under a different name, the festival has been held primarily in Park City, Utah, for more than 40 years.
“Boulder is an art town, tech town, mountain town, and college town. It is a place where the Festival can build and flourish,” Amanda Kelso, the Sundance Institute’s acting CEO, said in a news release. “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.”
Hosting Sundance is projected to generate millions of dollars annually for Boulder’s economy, as visitors spend on lodging, dining and other activities. In 2024, the festival brought $132 million in economic activity to Utah, including $13.8 million in tax revenue and $69.7 million in wages, according to the Boulder Chamber.
“We envision the heart of this festival centered right here in downtown Boulder, utilizing a wide array of theaters and venues and incorporating spaces all around the Pearl Street Mall,” said Eugene Hernandez, festival director, at a press conference at the Boulder Theater on Thursday. “Nearby spaces will offer dedicated locations for our community to gather, including select spots on the University of Colorado Boulder campus.”
Citywide hotel occupancy is expected to reach capacity during the festival, and supporters have suggested allowing property owners to rent out their homes on a short-term basis to help meet demand — a practice currently heavily regulated under city code.
“This moment is a testament to what happens when a community comes together to champion art, culture, and connection. Congratulations, Boulder and all of Colorado — this is our moment to shine,” Charlene Hoffman, CEO of Visit Boulder, the visitors bureau that helped lead the effort to bring the festival to Boulder, said in a news release.
Colorado officials formally submitted their proposal to host the festival last year, offering a $1.5 million state incentive to secure the bid. House Bill 1005, which could provide an additional $34 million in tax incentives, is scheduled for debate in the Colorado Senate on Friday, March 28. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Judy Amabile of Boulder.
Rep. Brianna Titone, a Democrat from Arvada, is also one of the bill’s main sponsors. Titone is the state’s only transgender lawmaker and told CPR News that the festival’s move to Boulder sends a larger message.
“There’s been a lot of changes going on in the federal government and in state governments around discrimination and picking on groups of people, especially the LGBT community and the film industry really is not about that,” she told CPR News. “They are really about inclusivity and promoting the ideas about people being different.”
Before Thursday’s announcement, Park City’s mayor acknowledged that Sundance may not stay in Utah — despite efforts by leaders to keep the festival through a proposed split between Salt Lake City and Park City — due to a controversial bill that would ban Pride flags from government buildings, which is now awaiting the governor’s decision.
Gov. Jared Polis said Sundance will be “an anchor tenant of an increasingly successful film ecosystem in our state.”
“When it comes to economic success and development, when it comes to culture, we don’t see Republicans or Democrats. We see Coloradans who are proud of where we live,” Polis said at the press conference.
In September 2024, the Sundance Institute announced that Boulder was one of three finalists for the 10-year hosting contract. Other contenders were Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah, and Cincinnati, Ohio. Finalists were chosen based on their “ethos and equity values, infrastructure, and capabilities to host the Festival,” as well as their ability to inspire future independent filmmakers, according to the organization.
Boulder will likely need to invest in infrastructure and expand its venue offerings to accommodate the influx of filmmakers, industry professionals and visitors. Main venues near downtown could include Boulder Theater, CU Boulder’s Macky Auditorium, eTown Hall and Chautauqua Auditorium. The festival could also use the Stanley Film Center in Estes Park, where the Sundance Institute now hosts its Directors Lab. The organization said it plans to work with a host committee to address infrastructure and accommodation issues.
“This accomplishment is the result of incredible collaboration,” City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde said in a statement. “We look forward to ensuring that the Sundance Film Festival flourishes here and that participants continue to enjoy a world-class experience.”
Speaking at the press conference, Rivera-Vandermyde acknowledged the work ahead. “I’ve told my team, today we celebrate. And next week, man, we’ve got a meeting on the books because we’ll be working.”
One potential complication is the festival’s impact on the Boulder International Film Festival, which has operated in the city for about 20 years. BIFF, which takes place each March and recently drew about 25,000 attendees, could face challenges with Sundance arriving just weeks earlier. The Sundance Film Festival traditionally runs in late January.
“We look forward to working with the Sundance team to help bring the acclaimed festival to Boulder,” Kathy Beeck, co-founder and director of BIFF, said in a news release. “BIFF just celebrated its most successful event to date. We look forward to continuing to grow and thrive, with the Sundance Film Festival as a neighbor, for many years to come.”
John Tayer, president and CEO of the Boulder Chamber, told Boulder Reporting Lab that the city has an immense responsibility to make sure that this transition is smooth.
“We are going to have a lot of work to do to make sure that we meet the commitments that we’ve made to the Sundance Institute, but also to those who follow the Sundance Film Festival and recognize its importance in elevating the film industry,” Tayer said.
He noted that they are working behind the scenes to ensure the city is ready to meet the festival’s logistical needs.
“We worked creatively to make sure that we have the transportation, the housing, all the security services,” Tayer said at the press conference, noting that final details are still under wraps.
“We know that there will be people who find comfortable accommodations in Longmont, in Westminster, even in Denver,” he added. “It’s one big uniform ecosystem … and we’re coordinating with RTD and our other transit support agencies. It’s going to be a significant collaborative effort going forward.”
Boulder is also a built-out town.
Hopefully, all the thousands of people who will pour into Boulder for Sundance won’t decide to move here later. Our land and community can’t take it any more population growth. The roads are crowded with traffic; we’re losing our view; can’t find parking for basic errands; and air pollution that is not as good as it should be already.
I recently did a count of upcoming and in-process housing developments in Boulder. The total number of new housing units came to 22,106. Most of the info came from BRL. I am shocked since we really don’t have the infrastructure for that kind of increase.
I’m not sure of the accuracy of your statement concerning short-term rentals being against city code. As of today, there are dozens of Airbnb listings in Boulder, and I personally know of many people who rent out their houses under the Airbnb system or even just for special occasions–concerts at Folsom, etc.
The statement refers to new licenses for short-term rentals, which are heavily regulated by the city.
I think the short-term rental question needs to be addressed before the festival starts in 2027. Personally I think they should move the date from January date to July; it wouldn’t be so close to the Boulder international film festival and there would be more space for festival goers when the students are away.
Once again, the ‘powers that be’ opt in favor of the interests of business and privileged White people, disregarding the upheaval and disruption Sundance will bring to town. I chuckle when people say Boulder is an ‘art town.’ We can’t even seem to keep our art galleries in business. The downtown is glutted with corporate outdoor stores. Our main movie theater is in a mall. BIFF is fantastic. We didn’t need this.
Seriously?
Hoping festival folk will be warned not to take a lovely walk down the Creek Path!
I wonder what are the commitments John Tayer is referring to in his statement “we (need)to make sure we meet the commitments that we’ve made to the Sundance Institute”
In other words how much is it going to cost?
I am sure this will mean there will be even more speculation on our housing market which will hurt the affordable housing efforts.
Lots of negative comments here. That’s surprising, most the people I’ve spoken to in Boulder are thrilled about the news and so am I. For a week every year, Boulder will be on the world stage. I expect this will bring a good deal of investment into our facilities which will bring in even better entertainment throughout the rest of the year. Plus, festivals like this are a ton of fun and we’ll be able to join without even working/spending to get there. I do hope we update the code to allow for short-term renting of houses during the event which would help those who want to leave town earn enough in a week to pay taxes for the year; better to have the money and guests stay in Boulder than have attendees travel in from neighboring cities each day.
Very much a mixed bag I’m sure. Wonder what kind of infrastructure changes the city is planning, and where will all the money come from? Last I heard we couldn’t even fund existing programs fully, and beds are being cut at the Shelter starting this month.