Boulder readies for the cultural and economic impact of Sundance
share
BOULDER, Colo. — Starting in 2027, the world-renowned Sundance Film Festival will take place in Boulder.
Nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the 100,000-person City of Boulder will welcome about as many attendees as the city has full-time residents.
While the festival and Boulder are still in the early stages of planning, there’s excitement about the economic possibilities of the marquee event being hosted during January.
“[Sundance Film Festival] comes during a time of the year when visitor traffic is at its lowest for our community,” said John Tayer, president and CEO of the Boulder Chamber. “It’s a revitalizing shot in the arm for our hotels, restaurants, retailers and other businesses that will benefit our community from the influx of visitors.”
Colorado is already home to popular film festivals, including Telluride Film Festival and Denver Film Festival. The addition of Sundance is part of Colorado’s initiative to bolster the state’s film festival industry.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) signed HB25-1005 into law April 8, providing a tax incentive for existing festivals across the state and giving a $34 million tax incentive for the Sundance Film Festival.
In 2024, the film festival brought $132 million to Utah — where the festival will take place through 2026 — and created 1,730 jobs for residents in the state, according to the festival.
Tayer said that Visit Boulder, CU Boulder, state leadership and the city worked closely to create the financial package that attracted Sundance. Ultimately, it paid off.
“We’re elated, dancing with excitement about having the opportunity to host this cultural showcase for independent film,” Tayer said.
Currently, the team is working on mapping out the logistics for the festival that saw 72,840 in-person attendees in 2024.
Sundance outgrew its former home, Park City, Utah, where it was held every year since 1981. Park City lacked enough theaters to accommodate the festival’s growth, and loding in the area was lacking.
After a yearlong search where the Sundance board considered cities like Sante Fe, New Mexico and Cincinnati, Ohio, the festival chose Boulder as its new home for the next ten years beginning in 2027.
“We know that the festival will have tendencies to spread beyond just central Boulder, but there are key facilities downtown and at the university that will support the Sundance Film Festival,” Tayer said.
CU Boulder has a long history of partnering with local film festivals, giving opportunities for students to volunteer, intern and attend the festivals.
“Students really get to see the behind-the-scenes at some of these festivals, like with Boulder International Film Festival. From workshops to giving free tickets, they’ve been generous with our students,” said Erin Espelie, department chair of the cinema studies and moving image arts program at CU Boulder.
The Macky Auditorium on campus is expected to be used as a theater for Sundance.
Independent of the film festival, CU Boulder’s film department is opening a new class about film festivals that will start in the spring of 2026. The class will center around the history of film festivals, how festivals impact local businesses and how they can change the trajectory of aspiring artists.
Espelie said the onset of Sundance in Boulder means guests, industry professionals and people from the festival will be able to show up to classes. She hopes to have students be directly involved with the festival.
“We’re excited about what might be possible. Understandably, some people are nervous about logistics, how students are getting to classes in the middle of the festival, especially if films are screened on campus. But overall, everyone is interested in what this partnership will look like and how it will shape Boulder’s future,” Espelie said.
As one of “The Big Five” film festivals, Sundance has attracted high-profile media studios, executives and production companies since the 90s, sparking bidding wars for films that premiere at the festival.
Espelie said with its move to Boulder, the festival could shift back to its roots as an artist-focused festival and not cater to corporate interests.
“How can the festival have these workshops, bring marginalized voices up and be a place for artists to have conversations in the community?” Espelie said.
“The importance is that the festival is a community-oriented festival where you can be in the presence of filmmakers, react to films and have discussions spill out into the streets afterward.”
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.