Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has been working “diligently” to keep Sundance Film Festival returning to Park City, Utah, he said at a press conference Thursday. “I believe that Sundance is is an important part of the state of Utah and and has been for such a long time,

Utah's challengers are reportedly offering strong incentives to lure the event out of the Beehive State. Colorado lawmakers, for example, are looking to offer up to $34 million in tax incentives for a festival that sells over 100,000 tickets and brings in more than 10,000 out-of-state visitors, the Durango Herald reported.

Just more than a week before Sundance 2025 kicks off, the resort town has made the long-desired decision to make Park City ‘s often-congested Main Street car-free for the duration of the festival, which runs January 23-Feburary 2.

While the festival continues as expected, devastation remains in LA County. The National Weather Service put portions of LA County under a “particularly dangerous situation” warning through Wednesday morning as high winds with gusts up to 72 mph threaten rapid spreading of the fire, per the Los Angeles Times.

The news that the annual indie festival will continue as planned comes after a week of cancellations of industry events, including the Critics Choice Awards, the BAFTA Tea Party and the WGA and PGA nominations. The 2025 festival is set to open in Park City, Utah on Jan. 23.

Even as many Hollywood events are being postponed and cancelled due to the ongoing fires in the Los Angeles area, the Sundance Film Festival is still planning to move forward with the 11-day event next week in Park City,