Sundance’s Final Bow in Park City to Celebrate Robert Redford and His Vision for Beloved Festival
With the final Sundance in Park City now just six months away, festival director and head of public programming Eugene Hernandez is teasing some plans for 2026.
“This year will mean so much for so many reasons,” Hernandez writes in an official “what to know” letter about next year’s edition of the festival, Utah’s last before it moves to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027. “Our focus is making the 2026 festival — in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, from Jan. 22 – Feb. 1 — one to remember, a celebration full of gratitude and joy.”
Hernandez said the plan is to show Sundance Institute’s appreciation to the Utah community “as a whole” after the state hosted the fest for 40 years. As such, there will be special screenings, “legacy talks” and other events to mark the occasion.
Sundance founder Robert Redford, who is 88 and has not had a visible presence at the festival in several years, will receive a special spotlight in January. Though no specific details were offered, Hernandez noted that Redford’s vision will be celebrated during the institute’s annual fundraiser at Grand Hyatt Deer Valley on Jan. 23, and he will be saluted through “special moments” throughout the course of the fest.
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Next year’s fest will feature 90-plus feature films and 50-plus short films in addition to the Beyond Film series, which is comprised of talks and events. The lineup will be announced later in the year. Hernandez also teased that the plans call for a showing of gratitude to Park City through archival screenings, restorations and special events. Like last year, the city’s Main Street will be pedestrian-only. In venue news, Park City’s Yarrow Theatre will be utilized as well as Salt Lake Film Society’s Broadway Centre Cinemas and Rose Wagner Performing Arts Centre.
“The 2026 Sundance Film Festival will be another chance to be a part of our continuing story,” Hernandez said in closing the correspondence. “I look forward to gathering in Park City and Salt Lake City with you all this coming January to celebrate independent storytelling past, present and future.”
