Dolly Parton Didn’t Want a Traditional Memorial — So She’s Getting a Two-Continent Party
Her estate is carrying out Dolly Parton’s final festival vision across consecutive weekends — but dates, venues and performers remain under wraps.
ByBernadette Giacomazzo
September 1, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Dolly Parton rejected a traditional public memorial, so her estate will honor her with two DollyFest celebrations in Nashville and London in 2027.
- Parton originally planned the multi-artist Nashville festival as its host and performer, and her team says it will now bring her vision to life across two consecutive weekends.
- Dates, venues, and performers remain unannounced, while Tennessee officials separately explore renaming Nashville International Airport after the country icon.
Dolly Parton will not receive a traditional public memorial—and that is exactly how she wanted it. Instead, the late country music icon’s estate is turning a celebration she began planning herself into two massive “DollyFest” events set for Nashville and London in 2027.
Officially titled DollyFest: The Celebration of a Lifetime, the two-day festivals will take place on consecutive weekends, although dates, venues and performers have not yet been revealed. According to Variety, the Nashville event was already in development before Parton’s death at 80, and her estate has now expanded the idea into a two-continent celebration of her music, career and cultural reach.
The original DollyFest was envisioned as a multi-artist event featuring Parton as both host and performer. It was supposed to take place in Nashville around her 80th birthday on January 19, but the singer stepped back from the project after experiencing health issues in August 2025. Rather than abandon her idea, Parton’s estate plans to complete it in her memory and give international fans their own celebration in London.
“What Dolly started, we will ensure is brought to life,” Danny Nozell, Parton’s longtime business partner and the founder and CEO of CTK Enterprises, said. “We had the venue booked, and we had the announcement ready to go.”
Nozell added that people often ask, “WWDD”—or “What Would Dolly Do?” For the team now carrying out her plans, the phrase has taken on a new meaning: “At this moment, DollyFest is WDWD—What Dolly Would Do!”
The festivals may be the closest Parton’s fans get to an official public memorial. Nozell said her estate is not attempting to control the tributes expected in Nashville and beyond, but emphasized that Parton did not want her life commemorated through a conventional, somber ceremony.
“As far as a traditional memorial goes, that is not something Dolly wanted,” he said. “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 announcement arrives as Tennessee considers another permanent tribute to its most famous daughter. Gov. Bill Lee and Nashville International Airport recently announced plans to explore renaming BNA after Dolly Parton. The airport authority is expected to address the proposal at its September 17 meeting.
Lee called Parton’s life “forever woven into the fabric” of Tennessee and said placing her name on the airport would allow her legacy to welcome travelers from around the world. It would also recognize an impact that stretched far beyond songs such as “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” and “I Will Always Love You.”
Through the Dollywood Foundation and her Imagination Library, Parton distributed more than 300 million free books to children internationally. Her estate’s decision to stage DollyFest in both Nashville and London reflects that same global reach.
“This is something that is authentic to her,” Nozell said, “something that artists and fans around the world can participate in.”
