Dolly Parton Says DollyFest Will Be the Party She Wanted to Share With the World While Announcing Celebrations in Nashville and London for 2027

Dolly Parton's estate is honoring the late country legend with a pair of festivals in two of the world's music capitals.

The estate announced DollyFest: The Celebration of a Lifetime, a two-day event set to take place across consecutive weekends in Nashville, Tenn., and London, England, in 2027.

The celebration reworks an event Parton had planned herself before her death.

DollyFest began as Parton's idea. The event was originally conceived as a multi-artist concert for January in Nashville, timed to her 80th birthday, with Parton set to perform and host.

"What Dolly started, we will ensure is brought to life," said Danny Nozell, Parton's longtime manager.

The concept has since expanded well beyond the original plan. What was to be a single Nashville event has grown into what the estate described as a two-day, two-weekend celebration spanning two continents, adding a London edition alongside the Nashville dates.

The estate framed the festivals as Parton's official commemoration, held in place of a conventional public memorial. According to Nozell, a traditional memorial was not something Parton wanted, and a festival felt more authentic to who she was.

"Many people behind the scenes know that DollyFest is a dream of Dolly’s that was intended to take place on her 80th birthday in Nashville. We had the venue booked, and we had the announcement ready to go. And then, in August 2025, Dolly had to take a step back after her initial health challenges. A lot of people always say, WWDD (What Would Dolly Do?), and, well, at this moment, Dollyfest is WDWD (What Dolly Would Do!)."

Nozell said the estate would not discourage others from honoring Parton in their own way this fall, but that DollyFest would be the family's official tribute. He added that the plan was to let the immediate tributes unfold naturally before staging the festival Parton had dreamed up.

Much about the festivals remains to be announced. The estate has not yet released specific dates, venues, lineups, or ticket information for either the Nashville or London events, saying that details are forthcoming. Fans have been directed to Parton's official website to sign up for updates.

The festivals are the first large public programs the estate has announced since Parton's death. Her team has also confirmed that a slate of her existing projects will move forward, including a Broadway musical based on her life and the opening of a hotel and museum, part of what her manager described as a roadmap she left behind.

Parton died on Tuesday, August 25, in Nashville at 80, after what her team described as a brief battle with cancer amid kidney and autoimmune issues. She had remained publicly optimistic about her health in her final weeks, saying she was still healing and still working. She was ultimately laid to rest in Nashville.

Over a six-decade career, Parton became one of the most beloved figures in American music, writing thousands of songs, including “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” and building a legacy that extended into film, business and philanthropy through her Imagination Library.

Tributes from across music and entertainment have continued in the days since her death.