Pride flag ban threatens Sundance’s future in Utah

“If someone doesn't want to come to Utah because we don't push political agenda flags, that’s 100% up to them, and they can go somewhere else that wants to agree with their political agendas.” Trevor Lee, Republican sponsor of the Pride flag ban bill

PARK CITY, Utah — A new bill banning Pride flags from Utah’s government buildings is raising concerns about whether the Sundance Film Festival — a major economic driver and cultural event for the state — will remain in Park City beyond 2026.

House Bill 77, which bans the Pride flag from being displayed in state schools and other state government buildings and public properties, has passed the Utah Legislature and now awaits Gov. Spencer Cox’s signature. Critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union and Equality Utah, argue the bill unfairly targets LGBTQ+ representation and threatens the inclusive environment Sundance has fostered for decades.

The bill’s potential impact stretches beyond symbolism. According to Deadline, Sundance organizers are weighing whether to continue hosting the festival in Utah or relocate to Boulder, Colorado, or Cincinnati, Ohio, by 2027. A final decision is expected by the end of April.

“Utah is Utah, but this goes to the heart of the community Sundance has worked years and years to develop,” a Sundance insider told Deadline, expressing frustration with the legislation.

Rep. Trevor Lee, a Republican sponsor of the bill, dismissed concerns over the festival’s possible departure.

“I don’t know what to say, other than sorry, that seems like a really pathetic excuse to say, ‘We don’t want Sundance in Utah,” Lee told TownLift.

Lee also dismissed concerns that the bill could cost Park City and the state of Utah  — both places where tourism is a major economic driver — millions in state and local revenue. The Sundance Film Festival alone brings in $14M in state and local tax revenue.

“If someone is going to cry about it, then they can go ahead and leave,” Lee said. “If someone doesn’t want to come to Utah because we don’t push political agenda flags, that’s 100% up to them, and they can go somewhere else that wants to agree with their political agendas.”

Salt Lake City Mayor, Erin Mendenhall, who is on Utah’s Sundance Film Festival’s Host Committee, told Deadline, “There is not a state in this nation where inclusivity, diversity, and empathy aren’t under attack.”

Mendenhall added that Salt Lake City will never stop supporting all their neighbors, including the LGBTQIA community. “Sundance is an incredible partner in that support,” she told Deadline.

The timing of the bill comes just as Utah lawmakers earmarked $3.5 million in the state’s proposed 2026 budget to support Sundance — an amount lawmakers say matches what festival organizers requested. The funding is part of a broader effort led by Gov. Cox to entice Sundance to stay, including transitioning the festival from Park City to Salt Lake City in 2027.

Sundance, founded by Robert Redford’s Wildwood Enterprises in 1978 has grown into a globally recognized celebration of independent film. In 2024, the festival generated $132 million in economic impact for Utah, supporting 1,730 jobs and contributing nearly $14 million in state and local tax revenue, according to Y2 Analytics.

Park City’s contract is set to expire after the 2026 festival. Currently, neither Cincinnati, Ohio, nor Boulder, Colorado, Utah’s competitors in the bid for hosting Sundance Film Festival, have enacted bans on displaying Pride flags.

Park City officials said they are still working to understand the parameters of H.B. 77. “Our commitment to inclusivity remains unchanged. Park City is dedicated to the safety, dignity, and rights of all our residents, and our work to foster an environment where everyone feels valued and respected continues,” officials said in statement to TownLift.

For now, the festival remains slated for Jan. 22-Feb. 1, 2026, in Park City and Salt Lake City.

TownLift reached out to The Sundance Film Festival for comment, but requests were not responded to by press time.