The Sundance Film Festival always has the vibe of a big party — and this year, the festival’s last hurrah in Utah before moving to Colorado, it likely will feel like a goodbye party.
It’s anyone’s guess how regular Sundance visitors will feel knowing that it’s the last time they’ll walk down Park City’s Old Main on their way to a festival party or into the Eccles Theatre for the premiere of a new film. And for Utah locals, it will be a final chance to watch the parade of celebrities in Park City or the unusual lineup of films there or in Salt Lake City.
Here’s a guide to navigating the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, which runs Jan. 22 to Feb. 1 in person — and from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1 on Sundance’s online portal.
(Alex Goodlett | The New York Times) A crowd stands in line at the Egyptian Theatre during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Jan. 25, 2025.
How to get tickets
All of the festival’s multiple film passes and ticket packages for in-person screenings sold out weeks ago. The only pass still available for online screenings is the $45 short films pass, which allows access to all of the festival’s short films online from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1.
Individual tickets, both for in-person and online screenings, went on sale Wednesday. There may still be a few left by now. They cost $35 per show — the same price as 2025.
If an in-person screening sells out, and most of them do, there’s still a chance to buy a ticket through the waitlist system. The festival sets aside a block of seats for each screening for passholders — and if those people don’t come, the seats are opened up for folks on the waitlist.
Accessing the waitlist requires downloading the festival’s app on your smartphone and starting an account. The app will walk you through the process of getting into line virtually before any screening. (The app is handy for many things, like checking film schedules and transit maps, and to vote for the festival’s audience awards.)
(Larry H. Miller Megaplex Theatres) The Megaplex Redstone Cinemas in Kimball Junction, just outside Park City proper, is one of the venues for Sundance Film Festival screenings.
Where to see movies
The main Park City venues are: The Eccles Theater, 1750 Kearns Blvd.; the Library Center Theatre, 1255 Park Ave.; The Ray Theatre, 1768 Park Ave.; the Yarrow, at 1800 Park Ave. (in the DoubleTree Hotel); and the Megaplex Theatres Park City at Redstone, 6030 Market St. (at Kimball Junction). The Holiday Village Cinemas fourplex, at 1776 Park Ave., will host press and industry screenings for the festival’s first few days, and open to public screenings from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1.
One big omission is the Egyptian Theatre, at 328 Main St., whose marquee has been the festival’s symbolic landmark since the event arrived in Park City in 1981. The Egyptian is a concert and live-theater space the rest of the year, and the theater’s operators decided not to rent a projector for this last Utah festival.
(Sundance is staging one panel discussion at the Egyptian on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 3 p.m. The panel, “Power of Story: On Legacy,” features documentarian Alex Gibney, author Ta-Nehisi Coates, actor John Turturro and actor-director Olivia Wilde. As for what else the Egyptian is planning, keep reading.)
A notable change from last year’s schedule: The Eccles Theatre, the festival’s biggest venue in Park City, will host screenings all the way through to the event’s final day. Last year, the Eccles closed midway through the festival.
Sundance’s Salt Lake City footprint remains the same as it was in 2025, with two downtown venues: The Rose Wagner Center for the Performing Arts, at 138 W. 300 South; and two screens at the Broadway Centre Cinemas, 111 E. 300 South. Together, there are 97 screenings scheduled in Salt Lake City, from Jan. 23 to Feb. 1.
(Rachel Eliza Griffiths | Sundance Institute) Author Salman Rushdie is the subject of the documentary "Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie," directed by Alex Gibney, an official selection in the Premieres section of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Sundance’s special programs
The festival’s reason for existence is to showcase new movies, of course, but it’s not the only thing going on.
Check out the schedule for Beyond Film, Sundance’s series of panel discussions and one-on-one talks with filmmakers. Most are held in the Filmmaker Lodge (known to locals as the Elks Lodge), 550 Main St., second floor. Among the featured conversations this year are: author Salman Rushdie, sports legend Billie Jean King, and filmmakers Ava DuVernay, Barbara Kopple, Gregg Araki, Nicole Holofcener, Richard Linklater, Antoine Fuqua and James Wan (who’s doing a talk, called “Visitations,” with Daniel Noah and Elijah Wood).
Linklater, a Sundance veteran, is also doing something different: He’s screening his 2025 movie “Nouvelle Vague,” about the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless,” and providing a live commentary track (along with an unnamed “special guest”). That screening is set for The Yarrow on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 9:15 p.m.
In addition to the new films playing at the festival, Sundance scheduled single screenings under the umbrella “Park City Legacy,” to celebrate the city’s four-decade history with the festival that will end this year.
One film in the program is a tribute to actor, director and Sundance Institute founder Robert Redford, who died in September at age 89. It’s the 1969 sports drama “Downhill Racer,” in which Redford played a championship-level skier battling a stern coach (Gene Hackman) for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. The movie was Redford’s first as a producer, and he often talked about how the studio’s lack of support spurred him to find alternative avenues to get independent films to the public — a journey that led to creating the institute in 1981.
Other classic independent films playing in the Park City Legacy program are: Barbara Kopple’s 1990 labor documentary “American Dream,” Guillermo Del Toro’s 1992 Mexican vampire movie “Cronos,” Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s 2006 teacher drama “Half Nelson,” Reginald Hudlin’s 1990 teen comedy “House Party,” Lynn Shelton’s 2009 buddy comedy “Humpday,” Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’ 2006 dysfunctional family comedy “Little Miss Sunshine,” Gregg Araki’s 2004 coming-of-age drama “Mysterious Skin,” and James Wan’s 2004 horror thriller “Saw.”
(Teresa Woodhull) Comedian Bill Engvall is scheduled to perform at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City, Jan. 29 to Feb. 1, 2026, coinciding with the last days of the Sundance Film Festival.
Meanwhile, at The Egyptian…
Even though Sundance’s official programming is almost completely skipping the Egyptian Theatre, the Park City landmark will stay busy.
The Egyptian has booked the indie folk-rock band DeVotchKa for three nights, Friday through Sunday, Jan. 23 to 25, at 8 p.m. each night. DeVotchKa composed much of the soundtrack for the 2006 comedy “Little Miss Sunshine,” and their shows will mark the 20th anniversary of that movie’s Sundance premiere.
Also at the Egyptian, stand-up comedian and Park City resident Bill Engvall will perform Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 29 to Feb. 1, at 8 p.m. each night. Engvall, who drew national acclaim as part of the “Blue Collar Comedy Tour,” retired from touring in 2022, though he still performs here and there.
Tickets for DeVotchKa and Engvall are available at parkcityshows.com. Your laminated Sundance credential will not help you here.
Screening etiquette
The most likely places to see celebrities are at the screenings in the Premieres section and the U.S. Dramatic competition, particularly in the first half of the festival. Of course, because those films have stars attached, they are also more likely to be seen in theaters and on streaming services later in the year.
Be adventurous, particularly with the documentaries, and find movies that may never get a regular theater run. And check out the shorts programs, where you’ll often find the next generation of talent — and one audience member’s compliment to a young filmmaker after the screening can make the years of labor and maxed-out credit cards worth it.
Punctuality is important. If you have a pass or a ticket, arrive at a venue 30 minutes before showtime, or risk seeing your seat go to someone on the waitlist. Security guards will also ask you to open bags and jackets for inspection, which also takes time.
The rules for Q&As are simple: Don’t ask personal questions, don’t ask about the movie’s budget (because the filmmakers will never tell you), don’t ask the star for an autograph or a hug, and never, ever, start with “this is more of a comment than a question…”.
Parking and transportation
Several surface parking lots, particularly in Old Town, are closed for the festival’s duration. Some parking garages and lots around Park City remain accessible, but the prices will fluctuate as the market allows. It’s not uncommon to see parking spaces go for $50 a day during the festival’s opening weekend.
That’s a bargain compared to the fees you’ll pay if your car gets towed. Some lots are notorious for this — tow trucks are usually poised at the Fresh Market on Park Avenue, waiting to remove cars whose owners aren’t going into the grocery store. When you park, watch and heed the signs warning of time limits and other restrictions.
Consider parking in the Kimball Junction areas, just off Interstate 80, and taking the shuttle buses into town. Usually, there’s plenty of parking, and you’re less likely to be towed or hassled — if you obey the posted signs, which list restrictions against overnight parking and other practices. And the shuttle system will take you to any festival venue.
For the second year in a row, Park City’s Main Street will be pedestrian-only from Jan. 22 to 26, the first half of the festival, starting at 11 a.m. each day.
General health
“Festival crud” is a regular visitor to Sundance. The combination of high altitude, lack of sleep, crowded spaces and irregular eating habits often leave festival attendees feeling poorly during or after the event.
Some suggestions:
• Drink plenty of water. Park City’s elevation is around 6,900 feet above sea level. Hydration can help stave off altitude sickness, particularly for lowlanders.
• Get a small bottle of hand sanitizer, something that will fit in a pocket or backpack.
• If you’re feeling something coming on, or think others might be carrying something contagious, wear an N95 mask so you don’t catch a bug or give one.
• Make sure you eat something substantial from time to time. Several Park City movie theaters have real food at concessions, like sandwiches and soup. Some theaters will let you take food into the auditorium, while others — such as the Eccles — only allow water bottles, and you have to wolf down your pizza slice in the lobby.
More random advice
• Talk to strangers in line, in the theaters, on shuttle buses and at parties. They, like you, are at Sundance because they love movies, and it’s fun to trade notes on what you’ve seen. Many lasting friendships, and a few marriages, have started at Sundance.
• If you’re taking time out of your movie schedule to eat dinner, make some extra time. Some Park City restaurants extend their hours, while others are closed because they’ve rented themselves out to corporate sponsors for private events. The ones that stay open will be crowded and have long wait times to get a table. The “don’t you know who I am?” card doesn’t get far in Park City, because service workers there either don’t know or don’t care.
• One more thing: It’s a festival, and festivals are supposed to be fun. Take full advantage of the weirdness going on, and see as many good movies as you can. If you’re a Utahn, and you’re not planning on a trip to Colorado next January, this may be your last chance.