NEDERLAND — The Sundance Film Festival, one of the biggest, most influential events in show business, is set to fill the streets of Boulder with glitz and glamour in 2027.

The dates for the event have been officially set, causing local venues, adjacent businesses, and Boulder’s government offices and authorities to begin preparations for what is set to become the area’s largest revenue generator. 

The Sundance Institute recently announced that the festival will be held from January 21 to 31, 2027, in venues all across the City of Boulder. 

The monumental move of bringing the festival from Utah to Colorado was a result of the hard work of the Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Boulder) together with the Sundance Institute; and thanks to the support from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, the Colorado Office of Film Television and Media, Colorado Creative Industries, the Colorado Tourism Office, CU Boulder, and the Stanley Film Center.

Sundance’s official website puts the spotlight on the new location for its nearly 50-year old festival, and describes Boulder to newcomers as the “jewel” of the state.

“If you’re new to the area, Boulder offers small-town charm with an engaged community, distinctive natural beauty, and a vibrant social scene,” the website states, “—the ideal convergence of arts, technology, music, food, and education scenes, ready for unique and exciting opportunities.”

Iconic locations were also listed on the website, including the Boedecker Theater and Gordon Gamm Theater of the Dairy Arts Center, the Chautauqua Auditorium, and CU Boulder’s Mackey Auditorium Concert Hall, Muenzinger Auditorium, and Row Green Theater, among others. 

These prestigious centers for art and entertainment will be lucky enough to host Sundance’s artists and attendees for the enjoyment of film screenings, special events, and “thought-provoking conversations.” 

Supplemental programming will also be hosted at the Canyon Theater and at eTown Hall, and local businesses all around downtown Boulder are bound to be hosting their own special mini-events either running adjacent to or in collaboration with those involved in Sundance’s program planning.

At the 29th Real Estate Forum, hosted by The Michael A. Klump Center for Real Estate at Boulder’s brand new and aptly-named Limelight Hotel and Convention Center, Ebs Burnough, the Board Chair of the Sundance Institute, spoke before 400 real estate professionals and students.

Burnough stated that the Sundance Film Festival is expected to generate $2 billion for Colorado over the next 10 years, especially considering that Boulder offers the festival more space and financial incentives for its participants—meaning a bigger audience and ability to attract more filmmakers.

Additionally, Burnough and other industry experts hypothesize that the festival will bring more seasonal jobs and more global tourists to the area, with the potential of there being more than 80,000 people to fill Boulder’s hotels and restaurants over the 10-day period. 

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade also predicts that the festival will have a major impact on not only Boulder’s economy, but also Colorado’s. It is reported that the 2024 festival earned over $132 million for Utah’s economy, created 1,730 jobs for local residents, and brought 24,000 visitors from out of state.

“The Festival will offer new opportunities to students, faculty and staff,” CU Boulder added to the list of benefits in an official statement. “Exposure to the world-class filmmakers, actors, screenwriters and others that attend the Sundance Film Festival will inspire the next generation of artists.”

Though the fast-approaching Sundance Film Festival is sure to be a cash cow for Boulder with its infusion of talent, influence, and an exciting new tax bracket, here “up the hill” the question remains: is Nederland prepared for what’s to come?  

The mountain town is currently embroiled in its own tourism-based economy issues, after losing two of the major festivals which put it on the map—NedFest and Frozen Dead Guy Days—and dealing with a dried-up ski season at the neighboring Eldora Mountain Resort, which Nederland is attempting to acquire. 

And as pressing infrastructure needs draw the majority of attention in terms of the Town budget and Town staff’s capacity, it’s the already exhausted business owners, managers, and community stakeholders and volunteers who are left to plan, work, and foot the bill for commerce and tourism opportunities

Just four years ago, the Colorado Tourism Office launched its statewide initiative to bolster the tourism industry infrastructure for municipalities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Reimagine Destinations program was sponsored by the $2.4 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant. Nederland was selected for the program in July of 2022 and received a $20,000 Tourism Management Grant at the start of 2023. 

By the end of 2024, the Town had fulfilled the requirements of the grant by adopting its Branding and Creative Identity, as designed through the year-long process developed by the Board of Trustees (BOT), the community, and hired firm Godot Communications Inc.

The tumultuous nature of selecting the logo, font, tagline, and color swatches for the Town of Nederland resulted in a lengthy process that soured Trustees and made “tourism” a dirty word. 

The Reimagine Destination program was supposed to graduate the Town to the Destination Blueprint initiative, which involved a second tier of available grants for the creation of a Tourism Management Strategy, formation of a Tourism Advisory Board, and development of a “Visit Nederland” tourism website, though participation into the initiative was ultimately turned down by the BOT.

There are still those working behind the scenes to ensure that the mountains will be represented and highlighted to those newcomers who will flock to Boulder in just 10 months for the 2027 Sundance Film Festival. Continue to follow The Mountain-Ear to learn more about who these people are and what they plan to offer.