The Sundance Institute is starting a process to “explore viable locations in the United States to host the Sundance Film Festival, beginning in 2027,” the nonprofit arts organization said Wednesday.
Those locations could be in Utah — where the festival has been held since 1978, before the institute existed — or elsewhere.
Officials at the institute did not divulge many details Wednesday about what criteria they would use to judge the cities that might apply to host the festival. What they did share is a timeline for how the process would be conducted.
Here are the important dates:
April 17-May 1, 2024 • A two-week period in which Sundance Institute takes requests for information (RFI) about the potential location for the Sundance Film Festival, starting in 2027.
May 7-June 21, 2024 • The period for cities applying to host the festival to respond to Sundance’s request for proposals (RFP).
Second half of 2024 • Sundance Institute officials are expected to review applications from cities vying to be the festival’s host. Details of how the search will be conducted have yet to be announced.
Late 2024 or early 2025 • The Sundance Institute is expected to announce the host location for the Sundance Film Festival from 2027 onward.
January 23-February 2, 2025 • The 2025 Sundance Film Festival is scheduled to take place, primarily in Park City and at venues in Salt Lake City. The dates for the 2025 festival were announced on March 19.
January 2026 • The 2026 Sundance Film Festival is scheduled to take place, primarily in Park City and at venues in Salt Lake City. Dates are expected to be announced sometime in 2025. After the 2026 festival, the Sundance Institute’s current contract with the city of Park City expires.
January 2027 • The 2027 Sundance Film Festival is scheduled to take place. Dates and location still to be determined.
