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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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In Person Sundance Is Back!

Jill Adler Leave a comment

The Sundance Institute today announced their initial plans for an in person Sundance for 2023, taking place from January 19-29, 2023.

First and foremost is their priority of bringing the film community back together with actual butts in seats to watch and experience next year’s culture-shaping stories. Therefore, the Sundance Film Festival begins in person, in Utah in Park City, Salt Lake City, and the Sundance Resort, on January 19 and runs through the 29th. The first weekend will be in-person only but then beginning the following Tuesday, January 24, the Festival expands to online with select films.

The digital side will offer an on-demand, curated selection of feature films from the 2023 Festival, including all competition titles (U.S. Dramatic, U.S. Documentary, World Cinema Dramatic, World Cinema Documentary, and NEXT), as well as other sections of the feature film program, alongside episodic work and short films.

Audiences globally can experience a regenerated edition of New Frontier that tunes to today’s times, emphasizing independent artistic practice and environmental engagement at the crossroads of film, art, and new media technology. New Frontier will feature a cutting-edge lineup of multimedia works and keynote discussions on a bespoke spatialized digital platform beginning January 24 when the online portion of the Festival kicks off.

“We are excited to bring the Sundance community together for the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, a celebration of independent filmmaking. After two years of being apart, our priority is reuniting in person, while still sharing bold new films with audiences across the country through online access,” said Joana Vicente, CEO of the Sundance Institute.

“The health and safety of the Sundance Institute staff, artists, volunteers, and audiences remain of the utmost importance to the Institute. We are continuing to work with our COVID-19 safety team and are following all CDC guidelines.” All staff and volunteers working the Festival will be required to mask and test weekly. Attendees will be encouraged to wear masks in all Sundance Film Festival spaces to keep themselves and other Festival community members safe.

Program Submissions are currently open. They close on the following dates: Feature film submissions close September 5 (official) and September 26 (late), 2022. Short film submissions close September 5 (late), 2022. New Frontier submissions close September 9 (late), 2022. Episodic content submissions closed August 26 (official) but late submissions have until September 12, 2022. Details on applications, including frequently asked questions, are available here.

Information on ticket packages and venues will be announced in late September. Stay up to date at festival.sundance.org, and visit lodging.sundance.org to help plan your stay at the Festival.

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