Sundance Film Festival has called Utah its home since 1978, but come 2027, that’s set to change.

Sundance Institute has announced a final pick in their decision to potentially move its namesake and world-renowned film festival away from Salt Lake City roots. Picking between options of keeping the festival in Utah, moving to Cincinnati, and moving to Boulder, the decision was made to head to the Centennial State.

“During the process, it became clear that Boulder is the ideal location in which to build our Festival’s future, marking a key strategic step in its natural evolution,” said Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute Board Chair.

A bit more detail related to why Boulder was selected was included in a press release on the matter: “Boulder’s storied and vibrant community of audiences, artists, and filmmakers allows the Sundance Institute to lay the foundation for a strong future for the Sundance Film Festival.”

Money may have also played a role in the selection, with KDVR reporting that Cincinnati proposed allocating $5 million for the festival, Salt Lake City proposed $3.5 million, and that Colorado lawmakers approved a $34 million budget.

In 2024, Sundance Festival sold a reported 141,000 tickets to a total of 72,840 people – one-third of whom traveled to Utah from out-of-state for the event. According to the LA Times, this chunk of attendees from out-of-state are believed to have spent an estimated $106.4 million in Utah during the festival. LA Times also reports that the festival created 1,730 jobs and $69.7 million in wages, generating $13.8 million in state and local taxes.

It may be worth noting that the move to Boulder means moving the festival to a much more populated area. Park City is home to about 8,500 residents and is a 40-minute drive from Salt Lake City, which has a city population of about 200,000 and a metro population of 1.25 million. Meanwhile, Boulder’s population is around 105,000 with the nearby city of Denver home to 730,000 and the greater metro area home to three million.

As far as what the festival’s future in Boulder looks like, the following statement was provided: “Together with the Boulder host committee, the Institute envisions the heart of the Festival centered in downtown Boulder utilizing a wide array of theaters and venues, and incorporating spaces around the Pearl Street Mall, a pedestrian-only street. Nearby spaces will offer dedicated locations for our community to gather, including select spots on the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder campus. The majestic Rocky Mountains will frame the horizon for festival goers.”

The festival is set to take place in Boulder for 10 years, according to KDVR, through the 2036 running of the event. The Sundance Film Festival generally takes place between late-January and early-February.

Read more about this move in an in-depth piece from the Denver Gazette here.