The Sundance Film Festival this week released new details about the schedule, programming and venues planned for its first year in Boulder.
The announcement, known as “Shape of the Fest,” offers an early look at what audiences can expect when the 11-day festival moves from Utah to Colorado in January 2027.
“This is a snapshot, a glimpse into the future of the festival,” said Eugene Hernandez, the festival’s director and head of public programming.
Although Sundance announced the dates and venues in February, the latest update provides a more detailed breakdown of the schedule and how some Boulder locations will be used.
The Sundance Film Festival will run from Jan. 21 through Jan. 31. Most world premieres and industry events will take place during the six days between Jan. 21 and 26. A gala is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 22.
From Thursday, Jan. 28, to Sunday, Jan. 31, ticket holders will be able to stream films from the festival’s five competition categories at home. Awards will be announced Friday, Jan. 29.
“The online part gives folks a chance to dip in and get a taste of the festival, even if they don’t travel to Colorado,” Hernandez said.
The announcement also introduces Boulder to longtime festivalgoers who may be unfamiliar with the city. For local residents, it offers another indication of how Sundance could affect lodging, transportation and daily life during its first year here.
The official lodging page on the Sundance website features hotels from Estes Park to Aurora, along with a handful of vacation rental homes in Boulder County. Several Boulder-area properties listed on the site are advertised for between $1,600 and $3,700 a night. Others must be booked through VelareLX, a luxury rental firm that sets rates according to a guest’s budget.
One of the biggest changes resulting from the move to Boulder is the festival’s more compact footprint. Unlike in Utah, where Sundance spanned multiple municipalities and more than 40 square miles, all of its Boulder venues will be within about a two-mile radius.
The festival will take place in about a dozen Boulder buildings, including CU’s Macky and Muenzinger Auditoriums, eTown Hall and the Dairy Arts Center.
“It’s all concentrated,” Hernandez said. “It’s meaningful, it’s intentional, and it’s never happened that way before.”
The Hotel Boulderado will serve as the festival headquarters amid an ongoing union drive by hotel workers, while the Cinemark Century Boulder theater at 29th Street will host screenings for members of the press and film industry.
Organizers say they want to create a high-quality moviegoing experience at each venue without erasing its local character. That will require improvements at some locations.
“We’re installing 240 speakers into the Macky Auditorium,” Hernandez said.
Other efforts to renovate Boulder venues before Sundance have drawn controversy.
Hernandez said he hopes Coloradans will view Sundance as a festival they can participate in, rather than an exclusive gathering for the film industry.
“It starts with two words,” he said. “You’re invited. …It’s for anyone and everyone.”
During the time he has spent in Boulder and elsewhere in Colorado, Hernandez said he has encountered “an audience that is thoughtful and curious and open and ready to engage a story, a topic, an idea, a conversation.”
“This festival is for Colorado first and foremost,” Hernandez added.
How much it will cost to attend remains unknown. Sundance plans to release information about festival passes, ticket packages and individual screenings in September. Passes and packages will go on sale in October, and the 2027 film lineup will be announced in December.
Online information sessions are underway for people interested in volunteering.
