Sundance announced last year it was considering a move, citing high costs and accessibility challenges in Park City, the festival’s home for over 40 years.
In an attempt to keep the annual film festival, Utah organizers pitched a new model that would have involved more screenings and events in Salt Lake City, with Park City serving as an ancillary location.
Park City Chamber President and CEO Jennifer Wesselhoff said she’s proud of the work put in by Utah’s bid team, which included Park City Deputy Manager Sarah Pearce and Salt Lake City and county officials.
“We’re really, really disappointed,” Wesselhoff said. “We worked very hard on this bid. We’re all grieving the loss today.”
A Sundance report on the 2024 festival found the event generated a total economic impact of $132 million in Utah, along with supporting over 1,700 local jobs.
Wesselhoff expressed optimism Park City’s ski industry will help fill that void.
“We will recover economically. We are incredibly resilient,” she said. “Sundance is in the middle of our busy season, and during that time, we’ve heard that a lot of skiers didn’t actually come to Park City during that time because of the festival and the congestion that the festival caused. So it will open up some inventory and opportunity to really fill in with our skier market.”
She said the chamber is interested in reinvesting the funds that typically go to Sundance into new local arts programs.
Wesselhoff also said the hole left by the film festival, which has called Park City home for over 40 years, could be filled with new events.
“There’s opportunity for other events, especially as we’re building up to the 2034 Games,” she said. “There will be World Cup events that come to Park City during that time. And we’re also looking to attract some other large events. We know that the Winter X Games is looking to relocate. We believe that we’re a top contender for that in 2027. And we’re just going to continue to work hard to make sure that our businesses are successful now and into the future, with or without Sundance.”
Aspen, Colorado’s contract with the Winter X Games expires after this year. The action sports organization previously announced that it will introduce a new global, team based-format with year-round competitions in 2026.
The Summer X Games is also making its Utah debut this summer. The event is June 27 to June 29 and will feature Moto X, BMX and skateboarding at the Utah State Fairpark.
Park City will host Sundance in 2026 for the last time from Jan. 22 to Feb. 1.
