The Sundance Film Festival is leaving Utah — its home for the past four decades — for Boulder, Colorado starting in 2027, organizers announced Thursday.

Why it matters: Sundance’s planned departure from Park City deals a major economic blow to Utah.

• Out-of-state visitors spent $106.4 million during the 2024 festival, which drew over 72,000 in-person attendees, according to an economic impact report.
• Sundance is also a major cultural hub, hosting film screenings and events throughout the year.

What they’re saying: “Ultimately, this decision is theirs to make — but I believe it’s a mistake, and that one day, they’ll realize they left behind not just a place, but their heritage,” Gov. Spencer Cox posted Thursday on X.

Catch up quick: Organizers announced last April they were exploring a new permanent location for the independent film festival after 2026.

• Sundance’s contract with Park City was about to expire, and organizers had fielded complaints of bumper-to-bumper traffic and skyrocketing lodging costs there.
• Boulder and Cincinnati, Ohio were named finalists in September competing with Salt Lake City and Park City’s joint proposals.
• Atlanta; Louisville, Kentucky; and Santa Fe, New Mexico also submitted bids.

Follow the money: The Utah legislature set aside $3.5 million to entice the festival to stay.

• But Boulder’s bid included a proposed $34 million in refundable tax credits under a measure that was advancing through the Colorado legislature as of Thursday.

Friction point: Organizers reportedly balked at a ban on pride flags in Utah’s public buildings, which lawmakers passed earlier in March.

• Cox had not signed or vetoed the ban as of the festival’s announcement Thursday.
• Tension around the flag ban led to mixed messages from Utah officials. Some conservatives urged Sundance to leave, saying the festival clashed with Utah’s religious culture.
• Less than a month earlier, nearly 100 state and local leaders had signed a half-page ad in the Los Angeles Times, begging organizers to stay.

Robert Redford, who founded the festival, expressed “sincere gratitude … for Park City, the state of Utah, and all those in the Utah community that have helped to build the organization.”

• “What we’ve created is remarkably special and defining,” Redford said in a prepared statement. “As change is inevitable, we must always evolve and grow, which has been at the core of our survival.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a comment from Gov. Cox.