Dolly Parton’s Legacy Honored Through 'DollyFest' Instead of a Traditional Memorial, Estate Says

Dolly Parton’s legacy will be celebrated in a way that feels unmistakably like her.

Following the country music icon’s death at 80, her estate has announced that DollyFest, a two-day celebration originally planned for earlier this year, will return in 2027 as a global tribute to the legendary singer.

The festival will take place in Nashville and London, transforming what was once intended as a celebration featuring Parton herself into what her estate describes as a “global double-day, double-weekend, double-continent party of a lifetime.”

DollyFest was initially scheduled for January, with the icon and other artists expected to perform. However, the event was canceled after the singer began experiencing health challenges in late 2025.

Now, following Parton’s death on August 25, the festival will serve as an alternative to a traditional memorial, something her longtime manager, Danny Nozell, said was exactly what she wanted.

“We are not discouraging people from celebrating Dolly in the ways they choose,” Nozell said in a statement.

“However, as far as a traditional memorial goes, that is not something Dolly wanted," he continued.

“So, instead, it feels more appropriate for us to take a beat, let all the tributes that immediately make sense occur naturally, and then, see through this festival-style concept that was truly dreamed up by Dolly,” he said.

“This is something that is authentic to her, something that feels right to me, and something that artists and fans around the world can participate in, while also giving everyone time to grieve, and giving everyone time to plan," he added.

Parton was laid to rest during a private funeral on August 28 in Nashville, attended only by immediate family, in accordance with her wishes.

Her niece, Lainey Parton, later shared an emotional tribute, remembering the "9 to 5" hitmaker as someone who always made her feel loved, supported and capable of chasing her dreams.

“From the time I was little, my granny always had a way of making me feel like I was enough. She never made my dreams feel too big or made me feel like I couldn’t do something," Lainey wrote on Instagram. “

“I’m going to miss her voice, her laugh, her hugs, and just knowing she was there. I’m even going to miss those 4 a.m. calls, and I’d give anything to see her name pop up on my phone again," she continued.

Dolly’s family has encouraged fans who want to honor her memory to support her Imagination Library, the organization that provides books to children.