A two-day festival celebrating the life and legacy of Dolly Parton is set to take place in Nashville and London next year.
Dollyfest was originally planned to celebrate the country music icon’s 80th birthday in January 2026, with Parton herself reportedly preparing to perform and host the event.
However, following her death at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer, the festival will now become a celebration of her remarkable career and legacy.
Dolly Parton. Photo credit: Bart Sherkow, Shutterstock
Organisers confirmed the plans in a statement on Monday, explaining that the original event had already been organised before Parton was forced to step back following health challenges in August 2025.
The festival will now take place across two consecutive weekends, with celebrations planned in both Nashville and London.
Organiser Danny Nozell, founder and chief executive of CTK Enterprises, said the event was something Parton herself had dreamed up.
"A lot of people always say, WWDD (What Would Dolly Do?), and, well, at this moment, Dollyfest is WDWD (What Dolly Would Do!)", he said.
Dolly Parton. Photo credit: DFree Shutterstock
Parton’s estate has also made clear that Dollyfest is not intended to be a traditional memorial.
"We are not discouraging people from celebrating Dolly in the ways they choose. However, as far as a traditional memorial goes, that is not something Dolly wanted."
"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."
The original Dollyfest was due to coincide with Parton’s milestone 80th birthday, with the singer having been involved in plans for the event before her health issues caused her to step back.
The festival will now offer fans an opportunity to come together and celebrate her music, career and enduring influence, rather than marking her passing with a conventional memorial.
Further details about the dates, venues, performances and tickets for the Nashville and London events are expected to be announced.
Dolly Parton. Photo credit: Kathy Hutchins, Shutterstock
This comes just a day after Dolly Parton’s niece broke her silence following the country music legend’s funeral, saying it still “doesn’t feel real” that her aunt is gone.
Lainey Mae Parton shared an emotional post on Instagram on Saturday, confirming that Dolly was laid to rest on Friday, August 28.
“This is a really hard post for me to make,” Lainey wrote alongside a slideshow of family photographs featuring Dolly.
“I wanted to wait until after my granny was laid to rest yesterday before I tried to put any of this into words.”
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She added that despite Dolly being such a major figure around the world, she had always been a loving and supportive member of their family.
“Most people can think of at least one bad memory with everyone in their family,” Lainey wrote. “I honestly can’t think of one with her.”
Dolly was laid to rest at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville on Friday, beside her husband Carl Dean.
Her family had gathered at the Nashville burial site, with reports confirming that the private gathering was Dolly’s funeral.
According to a source, the ceremony was deliberately kept simple because that was what Dolly wanted.
Dolly Parton. Photo credit: Bart Sherkow, Shutterstock
Since her passing, stars from across the entertainment industry have been paying tribute to the singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist.
Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Julia Roberts and goddaughter Miley Cyrus are among the many who honoured the memory of the 'irreplaceable' Dolly Parton.
