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?

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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