Boulder Leaders Attend Sundance Ahead of Festival's Move to Colorado

City officials visit Park City to prepare for Sundance's relocation to Boulder in 2027.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 7:23pm

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Several leaders from the City of Boulder, including Lori Call, associate vice chancellor of local government and community engagement at CU Boulder, traveled to Park City, Utah to attend the Sundance Film Festival as it prepares to move to Boulder, Colorado next year. The officials were impressed by Park City's well-refined system for hosting the festival and are eager to learn from their experience as Boulder gets ready to welcome Sundance.

Why it matters

The move of the prestigious Sundance Film Festival from Park City to Boulder represents a major cultural and economic opportunity for the Colorado city. As a larger metropolitan area, Boulder hopes to provide an improved experience for festival-goers while also leveraging the event to boost its profile as a hub for the arts and independent filmmaking.

The details

In March 2026, the Sundance Institute announced it would be relocating the annual film festival from Park City, Utah to Boulder, Colorado starting in 2027. Boulder officials, including Lori Call, are visiting Park City this year to observe how the festival operates and identify ways to replicate its success. Call noted that while Park City has refined its Sundance hosting over decades, Boulder's larger geographic footprint and array of lodging options should enhance the festival experience.

  • The Sundance Film Festival is currently underway in Park City, Utah.
  • In March 2026, the Sundance Institute announced it would move the festival to Boulder, Colorado starting in 2027.
  • In May 2025, Colorado Governor Jared Polis discussed the impact of Sundance's move to Boulder.

The players

Lori Call

The associate vice chancellor of local government and community engagement at CU Boulder, serving as a liaison between the city and the university for the Sundance move.

Jared Polis

The Governor of Colorado who discussed the impact of Sundance's relocation to Boulder in 2025.

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What they’re saying

“This year Sundance was amazing. It's really an incredible opportunity to see what Park City has done. Over 40 years, they've really built an incredible experience that celebrates independent filmmakers and the arts overall, the vibrancy of the community, the excitement of the filmmakers and those involved with films, and of course, folks who are just film aficionados or fans also get to kind of experience the magic that is Sundance.”

— Lori Call, Associate Vice Chancellor of Local Government and Community Engagement, CU Boulder (denver7.com)

“Boulder is a bigger area, and so I think lodging will be more accessible. In addition to kind of Boulder proper, I know Longmont is really excited, the US 36 corridor is really excited to host guests. I think we have a bigger footprint, geographic footprint. Because really, when you get into Utah, it's Park City and Salt Lake City, which is 30 miles away, and kind of nothing in between.”

— Lori Call, Associate Vice Chancellor of Local Government and Community Engagement, CU Boulder (denver7.com)

What’s next

In May 2025, Colorado Governor Jared Polis discussed the broader impact of Sundance's move to Boulder beyond just the city itself.

The takeaway

The relocation of the prestigious Sundance Film Festival from Park City, Utah to the larger metropolitan area of Boulder, Colorado represents a significant cultural and economic opportunity for the city. Boulder officials are eager to learn from Park City's decades of experience hosting the festival in order to provide an enhanced experience for attendees when Sundance makes its new home in Colorado starting in 2027.