PBS, Rolling Stone shine spotlight on the Park City Song Summit

Musicians perform on the main stage during the Park City Song Summit at Canyons Village in Park City, Utah, in 2024. Photo: Park City Song Summit

PARK CITY, Utah — The Park City Song Summit hosted its fifth annual festival this year with a lineup of live music and unique experiences that set it apart from other events. More than just a music festival, the summit emphasizes wellness, mental health, addiction recovery, and inclusivity.

Since its inception, the summit has steadily grown in both size and recognition. In August, PBS NewsHour spotlighted the 2025 festival, with Senior Arts Correspondent Jeffrey Brown interviewing festival founder Ben Anderson, Backline Executive Director Hilary Gleason, and artists LP Giobbi and Anders Osborne about mental health in the music industry.

Rolling Stone has described the summit as “a beacon of not only hope and compassion, but one of positive, tangible change.” And the event has also drawn coverage from music outlets such as FLOOD Magazine, JamBase, and Relix.

While the festival is drawing national coverage, it remains committed to its local roots. This year marked the first time the Song Summit was held in City Park, a move Anderson said was designed to root the festival more firmly in the Park City community.

The summit attracts between 4,000 and 5,000 people per day, with about 40 percent of attendees traveling from out of state. While that may be modest compared to the more than 85,000 visitors who attend the Sundance Film Festival, the Song Summit could provide a valuable cultural touchpoint for locals and tourists alike after the film festival departs in 2027.