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RSVP Sundance 2026: The Ultimate Guide to Pop-Ups, Lounges, Parties, and More in Park City’s Final Dance

2026 marks the festival’s last year in its iconic Utah home and you would think there would be a glimmer of what used to be. Back in the day, every gallery, restaurant and office lining the steep center of Park City’s Old Town morphed into facade highlighting a well-known brand’s ‘hub’ or ‘lounge, where filmmakers, celebs, media and publicists networked and vibed. Though some of the familiar sponsors like Acura, Dropbox, Audible and Adobe are back to support The Last Dance, it’s still a far cry from the days of ‘ol when L’Oreal gifted brand new makeup to the general public, Stanley gave out Sundance branded Quenchers and cocoa, McDonald’s distributed PJs and NBC Studios handed out fuzzy socks. Even still, when you’re in between films, can’t make the waitlist or just don’t want to spend $35 for an untested film, stroll past one of these popups or parties. You just might experience some of that Sundance magic that helped create one of the world’s best film festivals.

Legacy Pop-Ups

One of the most fun experiences during Sundance are those random pedestrian popups where anyone can score a sweatshirt, beanie, photo or coffee. Some are walkups; some, just RSVP Sundance.

Little Miss Sunshine Popup Donut Cart on Swede Alley near the Transit Hub: Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the beloved 2006 Sundance film, Searchlight Pictures rolled in a mini donut and cocoa cart along with a trailer for giving away, beanies, socks, shirts and little HotWheels vans.

Across the street lumbers the giant House of Energy (550 Swede Alley) where NBC Sports hosts a “Join the Ride” Photo Booth, to pimp the upcoming 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games. You’ll pose with Italy-inspired scooters for themed photos. January 23-26. Also in the tent, Jan. 25/26, ASCAP presents their free “music cafe” from 2-6p.

Canon at the Park City Museum (528 Main St.), offers hands-on gear demos and light bites, Dropbox House (501 Main St.) has product experiences and premiere parties. Audible Listening Lodge (Kimball Terrace, 675 Main St. closing Jan. 25) hosts s’mores, bites and fireside chats, and Adobe has a cool scavenger hunt that leads to custom beanies, pins, gloves, scarves, and water bottles in addition to photo ops and Adobe product demos.

We’ll mention the Chase Sapphire Reserve Experience (660 Main St.) only because of its enormous footprint at the bottom of Main Street but ever since it clamped down on who can enter, it’s just not worth the hype or expense. Without a RESERVE card (sorry Preferred members, you can cancel now), it’s a no-go for the panels, bites, and music. Plus, the once-free ‘thank you’ member party for cardholders now requires a $100 ticket that was sold out instantly.

The Impact Lounge (Prospector Square, 2175 Sidewinder Dr. January 23-28) became a great addition to the Fest a few years ago with over 40 panels on impactful storytelling, sustainability, and diversity that is accessible to just about anyone who cares about film and the industry’s impact. But make sure you RSVP or know someone with a pass. Highlights include Kerry Washington on democracy, panels, and nightly parties.

The Cabin, across from the Main Street Post Office, will be hosting parties throughout the fest but without a restaurant connection, the dark downstairs space is for boozing and schmoozing. On Friday, Jan. 23, they screened a short film with Adrien Grenier and then a party for Moviemaker Magazine.

One of our favorite activations has got to be the World of Hyatt pop up on Main Street. As Sundance’s official travel sponsor, the brand knows how to pamper their guests. The lounge is open to the public but you better in get line early if you want your aura photo read or a fresh bingo card. The “Scents of Sundance” sensory experiences and “Wellbeing Mornings” with Peloton yoga and pilates classes will also take place from Jan. 23-25. Make sure you get on the list for one of the parties after dark on Friday and Saturday.

11th Hour Productions in partnership with Ferrara Media will debut the first-ever 11th Hour Lodge, an invite-only, four-day immersive experience taking place January 23–26, 2026, winding down with Monday on Main. Each day will begin with Wellness AM programming powered by Pvolve, the restorative fitness method endorsed by Jennifer Aniston, followed by the signature 11th Hour Coffee Hour. Guests will enjoy artisan coffee and fresh Pop-Up Bagels from founder Adam Goldberg, alongside custom cowboy hat design moments by Gigi Pip, offering a playful, quintessential Park City touch.

Insightful Panels and Talks

Cinema Café (Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St.): Daily chats January 23-29 with guests like Ava DuVernay, Salman Rushdie, and ’90s indie icons.
Canon Creative Studio (Park City Museum): January 23-26 panels on documentaries and cinematography, like “Spotlight on Documentaries” and Billie Jean King discussions.
Elvis Mitchell Suite (The Cabin on Main Street): January 23-26 conversations with Ryan Coogler, Guillermo del Toro, and film casts, plus screenings like Super Troopers 25th anniversary.

Beyond Film

Sundance’s Beyond Film’s programming features chats, panels and an end-cap event that celebrates the culmination of 43 years in Park City and Utah. The free tickets for Everyone Has a Story: Four Decades of the Sundance Film Festival in Utah went instantly on Jan. 13 but there’s a solid chance people won’t show so line up by 2p to see if you can get in. The event Jan. 30 at the Marquis is a retrospective of Sundance’s run in Wasatch with a (cash) cocktail hour and a program of stories, shared memories, archive treasures, and legendary moments. See the full Beyond Film lineup here.

P.S. Not everything mentioned in this article is open to the public or on-the-spot walk-in. Check Reddit for RSVPs and invites.

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Who’s Coming To Sundance 2026

Jill Adler Leave a comment

This is it. The last dance. The last Sundance Film Festival in Park City. It feels like the ending of an era. I heard someone say that Robert Redford passed in 2025 so that he would not be able to see his beloved Sundance Film Festival move. The writing was on the wall, however. The Fest with all of its crazy parties and spinoff fests like Slamdance and LapDance and XDance, was never the same after covid. The event went hybrid and the majority of people attending started watching from their home couches rather than buying flights to Salt Lake City so they could strut their stuff up and down Main Street. Those were the Glory Days back then; when all the store fronts became branded, signature lounges where gifting for the elite and industry networking became center stage. There was the ICM house, The Gray Goose Lodge, the signature Fujifilm party at Deer Valley Resort, Timberland and Ugg boots were bestowed on media and celebrities so when the paparazzi took their best shot, people would see what they were wearing. And boy did people see. There were celebrities, and pseudo celebrities everywhere. There were a couple years where Paris Hilton was the center attraction. For no obvious reason. Every place you stepped into had a name or two sitting in a corner. My favorite moment was spotting Rob Lowe in the back of a bar. He was so handsome. But the 2011 movie he was promoting was terrible.

He will be back this weekend to promote another indie called The Musical. He’s not the only one to participate in this last dance. We spotted Will Poulter and Adrien Grenier outside The Cabin last night. Even more will be milling around all weekend in support of their films or the film industry in general.

Will Brill, Alex Heller, Rob Lowe, Gillian Jacobs, Gishelle Bonilla Photos by Zach Hetrick for Audible

So, now, who’s coming to Sundance 2026? Here’s a list of people you might be able to spot if you’re here in Park City this weekend. If catching a glimpse or a jpeg of a well-known face is your thing, don’t miss out.

Barbara Kopple, James Wan, Alex Gibney, Kate McKinnon, Alexander Skarsgård, Dave Franco, Daveed Diggs, Olivia Wilde, Richard Linklater, Billie Jean King, Ava DuVernay, John Turturro, Ethan Hawke, Tessa Thompson, Woody Harrelson, Salman Rushdie, Antoine Fuqua, Taika Waititi, Nicole Holofcener, Elijah Wood, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Gregg Araki,Chris Pine, Mimi Rogers, Charli xcx, Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Topher Grace, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael Shannon, and Patton Oswalt, Tilda Swinton, MADELEINE MADDEN, Jenna Ortega, Alec Baldwin, Natalie Portman and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Adrian Grenier NORAH JONES AND RUFUS WAINWRIGHT Seth Rogen, Channing Tatum, Peter Dinklage, Russell Crowe, Edward Norton, Judd Apatow, Elizabeth Debicki, Olivia Coleman, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Brittney Griner, Steve Buscemi, Dave Franco, Nicholas Braun, Ben Wang, Kiernan Shipka, Chase Sui Wonders, Cooper Hoffman, Jenny Slate, Rob Lowe, Will Poulter, Adam DiMarco, Mason Reeves, Gemma Chan, Rosanna Arquette, Cathy Yan, Jay Duplass, Cooper Raiff, Iliza Shlesinger, Zoey Deutch, Keegan-Michael Key, Cristin Milioti, Topher Grace, John Slattery, Daniel Roher and Daniel Kwan, Rob lowe, Will Price, Rian Johnson, Steve Buscemi, Giancarlo Esposito, Ed Harris.

Jenna Ortega Cathy Yan Natalie Portman Photos by Zach Hetrick for Audible

How to get a picture with a celebrity

Ask politely. Often, however, a celeb is on their way somewhere else, and they don’t have time to play character meet and greets. If you’re quick with your camera you can pop in, take a quick selfie and hope that they are in the background with you. You could also hand off your camera to a friend and say start snapping as you walk close by. There may also be a publicist next to your celebrity and you can ask him if it’s okay if you take a photo. The next best thing is to ask for a copy of a photo that someone else took. Good Luck!

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Could Global Events Affect the Sundance Film Festival?

Jill Adler Leave a comment

James Sweeney/Dylan O'Brien Twinless Q n A

The 2025 Sundance Film Festival is upon us! Scheduled to take place in Park City, Utah, Jan. 23- Feb. 2, eyes were already scrutinizing the venerable independent filmmaker program after they announced a possible relocation for 2027 and beyond. When The Sundance Institute took over the seven-year-old Utah/U.S. Film Festival in 1985, they had no idea it would become the country’s premiere film festival nearly 40 years later with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. But could global events affect the Sundance Film Festival and finally push them out of little ol’ Park City?

It’s hard to ignore the subtle decline in enthusiasm for the Fest. Overcrowding (which the Covid pandemic actually helped quell), the increased cost of attending Sundance (tickets are $35/film this year and lodging is through the roof), and the ease of streaming have taken their toll. And, as other festivals, filmmakers, or film-related events have risen in prominence, attention has waned for the Utah fest both with the media and film industry. Think about it, if someone doesn’t write and talk publicly about a Sundance movie, will anyone care about it?

Some critics argue that in recent years, Sundance’s selection process has become more focused on films that are trendy or politically charged, rather than films with innovative storytelling, fresh voices, or unique perspectives.** This has led to a perception that the festival has sacrificed the artistic edge that once set it apart in favor of more predictable, formulaic programming. That is so not true! Just look at the programming for this year’s Fest. Still, perception trumps reality when it comes to social influencing that attempts to portray Sundance as an elitist gathering for industry professionals.

**Of the 4,138 feature film submissions, 1,591 were from the U.S. and 2,547 were international; 1,207 (32%) were directed by one or more filmmakers who identify as women; 74 (2%) were directed by one or more filmmakers who identify as nonbinary or gender-nonconforming individuals; 1,834 (51%) were directed by one or more filmmakers who identify as people of color; 555 (19%) were directed by one or more filmmakers who identify as LGBTQ+; 34 (1%) were directed by one or more filmmakers who identify as transgender; 219 (6%) were directed by one or more filmmakers who identify as having a disability.

It’s Not the Content but the Platform

Filmmaking itself has evolved, with new formats (like short-form content, web series, and experimental virtual reality) and methods of distribution challenging traditional forms of storytelling. While Sundance has made efforts to adapt to these shifts by offering a significant portion of their Fest online, the “progress” has ironically eroded the in-person festival experience. Why spend thousands of dollars to travel to a cold, crowded clime when you can watch films from home?

Other Reasons To Stay Home

Even if the cost of traveling in- and to- the US hadn’t skyrocketed, there is so much happening in the world today that many former Sundance regulars must take a break. This year, many of them are coming from California which is still fighting fires, homeowners’ insurance claims, and the stress of what’s to come. We probably won’t know the impact of this tragedy on attendance until the end of the Fest when numbers are announced.

So what will Sundance 2025 look like? Your guess is as good as mine. Day One is in the can so to speak, with screenings that began at noon and ran through nearly midnight. Every single one sold out. Looks like a healthy sign to us!

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Who’s Coming – and Not Coming- To Sundance 2025

Jill Adler Leave a comment

There may only be two more years of the Park City Sundance Film Festival. Let that sink in. The bidding process to find a new home for the premiere indie film fest began this summer with only three bidders left standing- Salt Lake City/Park City, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Boulder, Colo. Every year, Park City’s Main Street morphs to accommodate the influx of PIBs (people in black), posing for paparazzi, showing off their style and often but not always, promoting a film they are in…and SPL publishes a list of those celebs in excited anticipation of Sundance 2025. The streets are usually packed the first weekend with A-list stars, film buffs, and fans desperate for selfies.

But this year will feel much different as the fest has one foot out the door, the crunch of production from strikes over the past two years, and inflation hitting those who have been out of work for months.

Here are some other reasons that sightings will be slim:

1. Streamers Took Over the World (And the Festival Scene)

Let’s face it: The streaming giants have taken over, and Sundance just isn’t as exclusive as it used to be. Back in the day, Sundance was the go-to for indie filmmakers looking to get their big break. Now, thanks to Netflix, Amazon Prime, even YouTube, films go straight from the editing room to the digital realm. No more flying to cold, snowy, crowded Utah to premiere your work—just click ‘go live,’ and boom, you’re everywhere.

A lot of movies are just streaming away without the whole “let’s parade a bunch of celebs down Main Street” vibe. And let’s be real, a low budget indie movie’s not going to get you more views just because you showed up to a festival, right? Especially when the ticket price is now $30! Maybe it’s the way of the future, but it’s also the reason we might not see as many celebs at Sundance this year.

2. The Hollywood Strike Hangover

The Hollywood strike of 2023 wasn’t just a brief inconvenience. It was a full-blown industry earthquake with aftershocks and all. Pretty much everyone in the industry was out of work while fighting for fair wages and conditions. During this time, only non-union movies were in production. These are the majority of films that will be screening at festivals this year. These filmmakers are not “famous” names. Any Emmy or Academy award winner is a member of the Screen Actors, Writers or Directors guilds and these union folks are now trying to get back into the swing of things after months of (rightfully) staying home. They’re not about to go on vacation when they don’t have skin in the game unless someone else is paying for it.

3. Virtual Everything Is the New Normal

COVID changed everything—including how film festivals are run. Sundance wasn’t immune to the hit and after going completely virtual in 2020, it’s still a huge component of their programming. No reason anymore for filmmakers to drag (and pay for) all their actors to hang out in freezing cold places when they can Zoom in from their living rooms. Stars can promote their movies without leaving their couch.

For celebrities with busy schedules and lives, this virtual participation is a sweet gig. If you want to see familiar faces you might be better off with a virtual pass and some QnAs registrations.

4. Sundance 2025 Has Some Serious Competition

Sundance used to be the indie darling, the one festival where everyone wanted to be and be seen. Now? Sundance is just one of many big names in the festival world. You’ve got Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Tribeca, Austin, even Telluride, all fighting for attention. Plus, A-listers are way more likely to turn up at the international festivals where the global spotlight is on them. Those fests offer have bigger distribution deals and higher stakes for filmmakers. Sundance might still be important, but it’s not the place to be for every celebrity these days.

5. Celebs Are Doing… Other Things

Let’s not kid ourselves—celebrities have so much going on that sometimes the festival grind just isn’t at the top of their list. We’ve all seen the rise of the multi-hyphenate celebrity. They’re not just acting anymore—they’re producing, directing, launching skin care businesses, and maybe even trying their hand at podcasting and wine making. With so many new opportunities in Hollywood and beyond, some celebs are opting to focus on their latest passion projects or private ventures instead of showing up to every festival, hoping to grab some headlines in Variety. They’re being picky on their appearances.

Conclusion: Sundance 2025 is Still a Big Deal

Look, the 2025 Sundance Film Festival might not be packed with as many Hollywood megastars as you’ve come to expect. But that doesn’t mean the festival isn’t still worth your time. It’s just evolving. We can focus on film instead of the red carpet. Sundance is still the launching pad for groundbreaking indie films, and with pretty much all films from the past two years made from non-union talent and crew (thank you, strikes), there are emerging personalities just waiting for their moment in the spotlight.

So yeah, maybe Main Street won’t be as star-studded this year. But hey, the movies are still going to be intriguing—and that’s what really matters, right?

With all of this said, we still may get to see an A-lister IRL. This is the list of who might show at Sundance 2025:

Sarah Goldberg
Juliette Lewis
Mark Ruffalo
Rose Byrne
Conan O’Brien
Olivia Colman
John Lithgow
Jennifer Lopez
Chloë Sevigny
John Malkovich
Chloë Sevigny
Dev Patel
Amy Madigan
Carey Mulligan
Benedict Cumberbatch
Joel Edgerton
Felicity Jones
William H. Macy

Who’s Coming to Sundance 2024

Jill Adler One comment

Trying to spot a celebrity during the Sundance 2024 Film Festival is a bit like playing Where’s Waldo. Sure, you could wander Park City’s Main Street, watching for a horde of paparazzi, but you might be fooled. Once, I walked up and asked a guy with a fancy camera whom he was shooting and he said, “No idea but everyone else is taking their picture so I figured it must be someone important.” It certainly wasn’t anyone I recognized so I moved along.

If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of someone famous in the film biz, your best bet is to stand outside in the cold just before one of the film premieres at Eccles or The Egyptian Theater but it’s way more exciting to brush elbows as they exit the Filmmaker Lodge or The Variety Studio.

You may be wondering, however, who you’re looking for. No sense wasting your time searching for a selfie with Paul Rudd if he never caught a flight to SLC, right?

Here’s your Ski Play Live cheatsheet for this first weekend of Sundance to help with your budding paparazzi career. First, the list of who’s who and who might be in Utah and then the list of the buzzworthy films they are representing.

Who’s at Sundance 2024

Some of these names you may recognize, some will just be emerging. Pay close attention though because these sightings are as elusive as a white fox.

Saoirse Ronan, Phoebe-Rae Taylor, Rosemarie DeWitt, Luke Kirby, Michael Chernus, Courtney Taylor, Judith Light, Paapa Essiedu, Stephen Dillane, Saskia Reeves, Laura Linney, Steven Soderbergh, Jesse Eisenberg, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sue Bird, Lucy Lawless, André Holland, Debra Granik, Jay Ellis, Rashaad Newsome, Navid Khonsari, Sandra Rodriguez, Emma Stone, Margot Robbie, Kristen Stewart, Lily Gladstone, David Alan Grier, Demario Driver, Dominique Thorne, Jack Champion, Jay Ellis, Ji-Young Yoo, Justice Smith, Keir Gilchrist, Michelle Farrah Huang, Normani, Anna Boden, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Dawn Porter, Kobi Libii, Ryan Fleck, Datari Turner, Debby Wolfe, Debra Martin Chase, Jelani Johnson, Leah Smith, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Poppy Hanks, Sonja Warfield, Efren Ramirez, Jon Gries, Shondrella Avery, Tom Lefler, Mädchen Amick, Clark Gregg, Theo Germaine, Simone Kirby, Walt Klink, Rob Morrow, Chris Sullivan, Amy Aniobi, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Sonja Warfield, Debby Wolfe, Chrissy Teigen, David Chang, Joel Kim Booster, Andra Day, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jennifer Grey, Ed Harris, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Jeff Zimbalist, Bella Heathcote, Jason Schwartzman, Carol Kane, Alicia Silverstone, Kevin Connolly, Jason Momoa, Haylie Duff, Kieran Culkin, Will Ferrell, Josh Greenbaum, Pedro Pascal, Dominique Thorne, Ben Mendelsohn, Steven Yeun, Fred Durst, Lucy Liu, Glen Powell, Camila Cabello, Connie Britton, DEVO, Justice Smith, Jay Ellis, Retta, Robert Downey Jr., Christine Vachon, Jodie Foster, Mary Robinson, Christopher Nolan, Celine Song, Maite Alberdi, Pat Mitchell, June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey, Malcolm McDowell, Nicole Byer and Coral Peña.

Sundance 2024 Films with Buzz

When Robert Redford’s Park City Film Festival officially became the Sundance Film Festival in 1991, we saw the indie film revolution. Movies like Sex, Lies and Videotape, The Blair Witch and Winter’s Bone may never have found an audience were it not for the studio bidding wars that erupted in this small ski town.

Utah became ground zero for new filmmakers, new voices, and new discoveries. Even today, 40 years later, the industry looks to Sundance for its next breed of artists.

This year’s Sundance features less films than in the past few years (36 less than in 2020) as organizers attempt to create a more intimate atmosphere and allow more opportunities to see the chosen films during the 10-day. Here are 11 that have already stirred up some chatter.

‘A Different Man’

Sebastian Stan is aspiring actor Edward undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare, as he loses out on the role he was born to play and becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost.

‘Freaky Tales’

Pedro Pascale stars in this storyweb where teen punks defend their turf against Nazi skinheads, a rap duo battles for hip-hop immortality, a weary henchman gets a shot at redemption, and an NBA All-Star settles the score. Basically another day in the Bay.

‘Girls State’

Teenage girls from wildly different backgrounds across Missouri navigate a week-long immersive experiment in American democracy, build a government from the ground up, and reimagine what it means to govern.

‘I Saw the TV Glow’

Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own.

‘Love Lies Bleeding’

Reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Las Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family.

‘Love Me

The love story of a smart buoy and an orbiting satellite inhabited in different forms by Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun that spans a billion years and probes the mysteries of being and consciousness.

‘My Old Ass’

The summer before college, bright-yet-irreverent Elliott comes face-to-face with her older self during a mushroom trip.

‘The Outrun’

Rona returns to the wild beauty of Scotland’s Orkney Islands — where she grew up — hoping to heal from drug and alcohol addiction.

‘A Real Pain’

Mismatched cousins David and Benji reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother, a holocaust survivor.

‘Will & Harper’

When Will Ferrell finds out his close friend of 30 years is coming out as a trans woman, the two decide to embark on a cross-country road trip to process this new stage of their relationship.

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