Dolly Parton’s estate has announced a star-studded festival, DollyFest, celebrating the late singer’s life and legacy. It is set to take place in London and Nashville.
The two-day event will take place across two consecutive weekends in both cities in 2027. Exact dates will be announced at a later time.
Dolly’s nephew Bryan Seaver confirmed the star’s death at the age of 80 in an Instagram video last Tuesday (Aug 25). Celebrities, politicians and countless fans have shared emotional tributes across social media.
Her goddaughter Miley Cyrus revealed, “The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share.”
She continued: “I will always love her and want to make her proud. My heart breaks for the world, her family and friends who will miss her deeply. We’re in this loss together and we will see her in all of the most beautiful things. @dollyparton.”
Dolly Parton estate announce DollyFest
Dolly herself had dreamed up an earlier version of the festival, which would have seen her host and perform alongside other artists. However, the planned January 2026 event was called off before it was publicly announced due to her health struggles, her estate said.
“DOLLYFEST will be the party of a lifetime she wanted to share with the world,” her estate said.
Rather than holding a traditional public memorial, DollyFest will honour the music icon through the festival concept she herself envisioned. Dolly died aged 80 following a brief battle with cancer.
She was laid to rest at a private family funeral in Nashville on Friday and was buried next to her late husband, Carl Dean, at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in the Tennessee city, according to her great-niece.
DollyFest organiser Danny Nozell, founder and CEO of CTK Enterprises, said the estate was not asking people to hold back from celebrating Dolly in their own way. However, he explained that the singer herself did not want a traditional memorial.
“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,” Nozell 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.”
Dolly Parton said songwriting was her ‘therapy’
Originally from Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains, Dolly was a country music icon, philanthropist and businesswoman. Her best-known songs included Coat of Many Colors, Jolene and I Will Always Love You.
Across a seven-decade career, Dolly won 10 Grammy awards, sold more than 100 million records worldwide and wrote thousands of songs.
In 2022, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Songwriting remained particularly important to Dolly, who considered herself a songwriter above everything else. “It’s my way of expressing myself,” she said. “It’s my therapy.”
And Nozell believes the festival is perhaps the most Dolly way to celebrate her life, saying: “A lot of people always say, WWDD (What Would Dolly Do?), and, well, at this moment, DOLLYFEST is WDWD (What Dolly Would Do!).”
Acts performing at the festival have yet to be announced.
Read more: Photos of Dolly Parton without a wig as late star shared rare glimpse
What do you think of this story? Would you attend DollyFest? Then you can leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.