Sundance Film Festival Relocation: Inside the Battle Between Salt Lake City, Cincinnati, and Boulder for 2027
The whispers started as murmurs in darkened theaters and grew to full-volume debates in hotel lobbies. By the time the credits rolled on the final screening of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, the conversation had reached fever pitch: Where will Sundance call home in 2027?
After four decades nestled in the snowy embrace of Park City, Utah, the iconic independent film showcase is seriously considering packing its projectors and heading elsewhere. The finalists? Salt Lake City, Utah (just down the mountain); Cincinnati, Ohio (an unexpected Midwestern contender); and Boulder, Colorado (a kindred mountain town spirit).
The stakes couldn’t be higher. For filmmakers, industry professionals, and cinephiles, Sundance isn’t just a festival—it’s a pilgrimage. But as Park City’s popularity has soared, so have prices, pushing the festival experience further out of reach for the indie community it was built to serve.
I spoke with film commissioners from each finalist city, giving them the floor to pitch their communities as Sundance’s next chapter. Their proposals reveal not just venue counts and hotel room tallies, but competing visions for what America’s premier independent film festival might become.
With a decision expected this spring, here’s an inside look at the contenders vying to roll out the red carpet in 2027.
Salt Lake City: The Hometown Advantage
For Utah Film Commission director Virginia Pearce, relocating Sundance to Salt Lake City isn’t about starting over—it’s about coming home.
“Sundance belongs in Utah,” said Pearce, who spent 14 years working for the festival. “It’s been here 40 years. It’s hard to go anywhere in Salt Lake without hitting someone who has worked for Sundance. Everyone has a place in their heart for the festival in Utah.”
The pitch is compelling: keep the festival’s mountain west identity while addressing Park City’s limitations. Salt Lake offers the infrastructure of a capital city with the soul and scenery that made Sundance what it is today.
Venues: Size Matters
While Park City struggles with a theater shortage, Salt Lake boasts an abundance of purpose-built venues within walking distance of each other. The city already hosts Sundance screenings at venues like the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, but could easily expand to utilize additional theaters.
“There’s a lot of standalone, big, purpose-built theaters,” Pearce noted. “We have the Capitol Theatre and the Eccles Theatre within a couple of blocks of each other, and the Megaplex at the Gateway. We would be enthusiastic to find locations that meet Sundance’s needs.”
The city’s cinephile community thrives year-round thanks to the Salt Lake Film Society’s Tower Theatre, the Grand Theatre, and downtown’s Broadway Center Theatre.
Lodging: Room to Breathe
If you’ve ever frantically searched for affordable Sundance accommodations in Park City, Salt Lake’s hotel inventory sounds like a dream. Major chains like Hyatt and boutique options like Hotel Monaco (a Kimpton property) offer variety at more accessible price points.
“We have some beautiful spaces looking out over the mountains from the Valley perspective,” said Pearce, “as well as some independent hotels that could be a great fit. We are a major capital city that hosts large-scale events all the time.”
Indeed, Salt Lake regularly accommodates NBA games, NHL matchups, and the Winter Olympics (both in 2002 and upcoming in 2034).
The Compromise Plan: Best of Both Worlds?
Rather than abandoning Park City entirely, Pearce suggests a hybrid model where Salt Lake serves as the festival’s primary hub, with Park City hosting special opening or closing weekend events.
“Salt Lake and Park City got together and came up with some innovative ideas about how to create a new experience that expands the festival footprint to Salt Lake,” she explained. “There are more hotel rooms, more venues, more restaurants. It’s a larger city, so those costs would be negotiable in a much broader way.”
This approach preserves the nostalgic charm of Park City while addressing the practical limitations that have plagued the festival in recent years.
The Political Elephant in the Room
Despite Utah’s compelling case, a political development threatens to derail its bid. The Republican-controlled Utah legislature recently passed bill HB77, which would ban the flying of certain flags in schools and government buildings—including LGBTQ pride flags. The bill currently sits on Governor Spencer Cox’s desk, awaiting his signature or veto by March 27.
State Senator Dan McCay, who sponsored the flag ban, didn’t mince words about his view of the festival: “Sundance promotes porn. Sundance promotes alternative lifestyles. Sundance promotes anti-lds themes. Sundance does not fit in Utah anymore.”
This stance stands in stark contrast to Governor Cox’s January statement that “Sundance is Utah, and Utah is Sundance. You can’t really separate those two.”
LGBTQ advocacy groups have warned that signing the bill would create a hostile environment for the notoriously inclusive festival. “Yes, HB77 could contribute to Sundance’s decision to leave Utah,” Troy Williams, executive director of Equality Utah, posted on social media.
For now, Sundance is keeping silent on the issue. “Once we have Sundance’s decision,” said Pearce, “it will be an easier conversation to have about the future.”
Cincinnati: The Unexpected Contender
While Utah battles its internal contradictions, Cincinnati has positioned itself as a welcoming alternative. The Ohio city is pitching its historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood as Sundance’s new home—a former German working-class area transformed into one of the Midwest’s hippest cultural districts.
Venues: A Walkable Festival Village
Cincinnati Film Commissioner Kristen Schlotman emphasizes the walkability of Over-the-Rhine, with nine potential venues within a few blocks’ radius. These include the Cincinnati Music Hall, Memorial Hall OTR, and the Woodward Theater, all connected by a free streetcar.
Beyond the neighborhood core, the city offers approximately 30 venues within three miles, including an AMC multiplex across the Ohio River. This leaves ample room for the festival to grow—something Park City couldn’t accommodate.
Lodging: Building for the Future
While Cincinnati already offers a healthy mix of hotels and Airbnbs, Schlotman points to at least eight new hotels currently under construction and set to open within the next two years. The University of Cincinnati campus provides additional accommodation options, and as a city that hosts three major sports teams, Cincinnati’s tourism infrastructure is well-developed.
Perhaps most importantly, Cincinnati represents a clean slate—a chance for Sundance to reinvent itself without the political complications or astronomical costs that have plagued its Utah home.
Boulder: The Mountain Town Alternative
If Sundance is determined to maintain its mountain identity without Utah’s baggage, Boulder, Colorado makes a compelling case. The city offers a familiar mountain backdrop with a progressive culture that aligns with the festival’s values.
Venues: From Pearl Street to Campus
Boulder’s venue strategy centers around its Pearl Street pedestrian mall, anchored by the historic 850-seat Boulder Theater. Just a mile and a half away sits the 16-screen Cinemark Century Boulder—offering four times as many screens as Park City’s Holiday Village theater complex.
For premieres, Macky Auditorium could become Boulder’s version of the Eccles, with seating for over 2,000 attendees. Additional venues include the Dairy Arts Center and various spaces at the University of Colorado Boulder.
“There is also a new arts and events center already in the works,” noted Visit Boulder CEO Charlene Hoffman, “as part of a 1-million-plus-square-foot, mixed-use residential and arts district.”
The Educational Opportunity
Colorado Film Commissioner Donald Zuckerman emphasizes the potential partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder as a key differentiator.
“We’ve had conversations with the Sundance hierarchy and they’re thrilled at the idea of working with kids who study at the university,” he said. “These kids can work at Sundance and meet the filmmakers. Right now, it’s too expensive to go to Park City. Kids can’t do it. Young filmmakers can’t do it.”
This accessibility argument resonates with many who feel Sundance has drifted from its indie roots as Park City prices have skyrocketed.
Financial Incentives
Boulder’s financial package includes a one-time $1.5 million incentive from the Colorado Economic Development Commission, plus other contributions from the city and regional partners. The Colorado Office of Film Television and Media has committed an additional $250,000 over five years.
While not as lucrative as Utah’s long-term financial support, Colorado’s offer comes without the political complications that have haunted Sundance’s relationship with its current home state.
The Decision That Will Shape Independent Cinema
As Sundance leadership deliberates, they’re not just choosing between cities—they’re defining the festival’s future identity. Each finalist represents a different vision:
- Salt Lake City offers continuity with change: maintaining Utah roots while addressing Park City’s limitations
- Cincinnati presents a blank canvas: a chance to reimagine what an urban film festival can be
- Boulder promises a spiritual successor: maintaining mountain town character with progressive politics
The financial impact is substantial. According to Utah’s economic impact report, the 2024 Sundance Film Festival generated approximately $132 million in gross domestic product for Utah, created 1,730 jobs, delivered $69.7 million in wages, and contributed $13.8 million in state and local tax revenue.
Whichever city secures the festival, one thing is certain: Sundance 2027 will mark the beginning of a new era for independent cinema’s most influential showcase. The announcement, expected this spring, will send ripples through the film industry for years to come.
For a festival born in the shadows of Park City’s mountains, the view is about to change dramatically. The only question remaining is which skyline will frame the next chapter of independent film’s most important gathering.