Dollyfest to honor Dolly Parton over 2 weekends and on 2 continents
A tribute to Dolly Parton is displayed at the arts and entertainment venue Outernet in the West End. The iconic singer, songwriter and actress died on August 25th aged 80. (Photo by Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The life and legacy of Dolly Parton will be celebrated over the course of two weekends next year during a festival that will span two continents, reflecting the country icon’s global impact.
Big picture view:
The planned Dollyfest promises star-studded events in the country music capital of the world Nashville, Tennessee, and London, a city that knows a thing or two about music as well.
Parton’s estate revealed what it is calling "the official Team Dolly-produced celebration in Parton’s honor" and explained that the events are designed to build on the superstar’s wish to celebrate her 80th birthday with a Dollyfest event in Nashville.
What they're saying:
"We are not discouraging people from celebrating Dolly in the ways they choose," CTK Enterprises Founder and CEO Danny Nozell said. "However, as far as a traditional memorial goes, that is not something Dolly wanted."
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"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 continued.
The backstory:
Nozell explained that the venue for Parton’s hoped-for birthday bash had already been booked and the announcement had already been written before her health concerns in August 2025 forced her to step back from public life and call off the concert, which would have happened in January of this year.
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What's next:
The specific locations and dates for the shows in Nashville and London have not been released at this time. Organizers indicated that they will be released at a later date and encouraged people to sign up for notifications at www.dollyparton.com.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from dollyparton.com. This story was reported from Orlando.