The Park City Police Department expects there will be a reduction in annual contract services as a result of the Sundance Film Festival’s move to Colorado, but the number of full-time officers is not anticipated to be impacted.
Police Chief Wade Carpenter is unsure of the dollar figure of any reduction but estimated the number could be in the low six figures. A reduction would be reflected in the agency’s budget request for the municipal government’s 2027 fiscal year, which runs from mid-2026 until mid-2027.
The festival was typically one of the busiest stretches of the year for the Police Department, as large crowds of film lovers, celebrity gawkers and others arriving each January. Traffic issues, parking problems and noise complaints were commonplace.
Carpenter said up to 120 officers worked during Sundance, far more than is typical at other times of the year. The Police Department regularly tapped outside agencies for contract work during the festival to reinforce the agency’s own officer corps.
The police chief said there are no plans to reduce the full-time force based on the festival’s departure.
Sundance held the final festival in Park City in January before the relocation to Boulder, Colorado, starting in 2027.