Velvet Cull in Old Town

The Park City Council’s seasoned hand, Ryan Dickey, has smoothed the cracks in Old Town’s façade, turning the 2026 Sundance Film Festival into a bath, not a basin, of red‑tagged shimmer. The Yarrow DoubleTree by Hilton, re‑invaded as a ten‑day screen, offers glittering exclusivity, but the crowd‑crushing traffic on Main Street lasts a full five days. The Egyptian Theatre, an icon since 1981, is silenced, reserved for a one‑day panel in a cinema that no longer reeks of film. Eccles Center, meanwhile, padded the schedule with Saturday‑to‑Sunday showings, a bureaucratic garnish. Brands such as Acura, Hulu’s “Little Miss Sunshine” activation at Bob Wells Plaza, and Chase Sapphire at 625 Main parade their logos like shallow seals of status. The guest list, a parade of slick logos rather than luminaries, drags the event into a low‑bonneted snobbery. In the end, the tax‑funded traffic barriers outweigh the diva‑kissed cameras. Verdict: Send a check but stay home.