Utah's Pride flag ban may tank its Sundance future

With the future location of the Sundance Film Festival already in the air, a new proposed bill in Utah could mark the end for its tenure in the state.

The Sundance Film Festival has been held in Park City, Utah, since its founding in the 1980s. However, the festival is now deciding whether it will keep the festival in Park City and Salt Lake City, or if it will move to Boulder, Colo., or Cincinnati.

Now, a Utah bill currently heading towards Governor Spencer Cox's desk that would ban LGBTQ+ Pride flags in schools and other state government buildings might be the final nail in the coffin of Park City's tenure hosting the festival.

"What are they thinking? Utah is Utah, but this goes to the heart of the community Sundance has worked years and years to develop," one Sundance insider said, per Deadline.

"It is a terrible law, a terrible look for the state," they continued. "No matter what they say, we all know who it's aimed at – the LGBTQ+ community, and that's unacceptable."

The bill only allows a specific list of flags, including city and state flags, the U.S. flag, Olympic flag, military flags, and school flags to be flown on government property.

The festival's largest venue in Park City is the Eccles Theater, which is attached to Park City High School.

This is not Sundance's first time contending with the state's anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. For the 2025 festival, Sundance organizers made a page on the festival's website about "Welcoming Our Trans Artists and Community."

It mentioned a recent Utah law, House Bill 257, titled "Sex-based Designations for Privacy, Anti-bullying and Women's Opportunities," often referred to as a "bathroom bill." This law restricts the use of restrooms to birth sex if they are attached to a changing room in a government-owned or controlled building.

It went on to explain that the law did not impact any of the venues or theaters used for the festival.

"As an arts nonprofit, our role is to nurture artists and provide a place for communities to come together, converse, and engage with their stories," the site says. "We will do everything we can to continue this for our full community. We want to assure the communities most affected by this legislation — including transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming people — that you are vital to the Sundance community."

The festival brought in a reported $132 million for the state in 2024 and created 1,730 jobs. The 2023 festival brought in $118 million and created 1,608 jobs.

Sundance's contract with Park City expires after the 2026 festival. The festival should announce its new home by the end of April.