Dome Fest West Presents: Everest: Opera at the Planetarium

Experience the future of immersive storytelling at Clark Planetarium during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. Dome Fest West is proud to launch "Dome Fest West Presents," bringing world-class fulldome cinema to Salt Lake City with two extraordinary productions.

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Everest: Opera in the Planetarium

Film Runtime: 68 minutes

Screening January 15-25, 2026

Experience the breathtaking Everest: Opera in the Planetarium, an immersive reimagining of Joby Talbot’s acclaimed opera with a libretto by Gene Scheer. Based on the true story popularized by the book Into Thin Air, this visually stunning production delves into the ill-fated 1996 Mount Everest expedition. Combining intricate graphic novel-style imagery with a soaring score projected across the planetarium’s vast dome, it offers an unparalleled sensory experience.

The story follows climbers Rob Hall, Doug Hansen, and Beck Weathers as they attempt to reach the summit of the world’s highest peak. As the climbers struggle to survive in the brutal conditions, the production blends their present challenges on Everest with poignant flashbacks to their pasts and moments with loved ones. Using facial tracking technology, the singers’ performances are transformed into animated visuals, bringing the emotional depth of the opera to life in a visually dynamic way.

With a rich, recorded performance by a renowned cast conducted by the internationally acclaimed Nicole Paiement, Everest: Opera in the Planetarium captures the raw power of nature, the perseverance of the human spirit, and the haunting, tragic reality of the climbers’ final hours. As a powerful storm rages and the climbers’ fates unfold, the audience is immersed in the climbers’ harrowing journey, experiencing the immense beauty and danger of Everest in an entirely new way.