The Sundance Film Festival will make its Boulder debut January 21-31.
This week, the nonprofit Sundance Institute unveiled the dates of the 2027 event, which is relocating to Colorado after more than 40 years in Park City, Utah.
The news comes just a few weeks after the conclusion of the 2026 festival—the last to be held in Utah—which wrapped up February 1.
Officials didn’t reveal many specific details about the 2027 festival’s programming. But they did share that it will feature a range of world premieres, conversations, special events and other gatherings that align with the event’s mission of championing original voices, forging meaningful connections and entertaining audiences from around the world.
“Working closely with the Colorado community, the 2027 Sundance Film Festival is already in our sights as we build towards an exciting debut in Boulder where our programming will meet audiences next January,” says Eugene Hernandez, director of the Sundance Film Festival and public programming.
Moving forward, the Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF), which usually takes place in March, is being held roughly a month later than usual to accommodate the arrival of Sundance. This year, for instance, BIFF is scheduled for April 9-12.
READ MORE: Boulder Sundance Hotels: Where to Stay for the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance officials also announced the official Boulder venues for the 2027 festival:
- Boedecker Theater — Dairy Arts Center
- Boulder High School Auditorium
- Boulder Theater
- Casey Middle School Auditorium
- Chautauqua Auditorium
- Cinemark Century Boulder
- eTown Hall
- Gordon Gamm Theater — Dairy Arts Center
- Macky Auditorium Concert Hall — University of Colorado Boulder
- Muenzinger Auditorium — University of Colorado Boulder
- Roe Green Theatre — University of Colorado Boulder
- Canyon Theater, Boulder Public Library District
- Dairy Arts Center
- eTown Hall
- Old Main — University of Colorado Boulder
“Nestled at the base of Colorado’s iconic Flatirons, venues across the city and CU Boulder’s campus provide an ideal setting for festivalgoers from across the world to come together, revel in art, spark conversation and create unforgettable memories,” says Hernandez. “Boulder offers a renowned creative arts and tech scene, paired with the vibrant CU Boulder students, faculty, and staff. We’ll share more details in the coming months and hope you’ll join us on our journey to Boulder as we build the Sundance Film Festival’s new home.”
CU Boulder will play a major role in the 2027 festival, which campus leaders say will provide numerous unique learning opportunities for students.
“We’re excited to show off our beautiful campus to the world,” says Justin Schwartz, chancellor of CU Boulder. “It is another opportunity for everyone across the country and around the globe to see how amazing CU Boulder is. But I’m also excited to see how our students, who are so creative, leverage the opportunity in ways that I can’t even imagine.”
Already, CU Boulder faculty members are dreaming up ways to get students involved in the festival. They’re offering a new course about film festival culture in the spring, which will feature guest lecturers from Sundance, the Denver Film Festival and the Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF). University officials and student groups are also contemplating other potential opportunities, such as internships, volunteer opportunities and a year-round cultural ambassador program.
During the festival itself, students and community members will have a chance to “see great films, independent films with incredibly different perspectives and thoughts,” says Schwartz.
“One of the roles of a university campus is to get people to think differently and see other points of view,” he adds.
