Continuing the legacy of Dolly Parton.
The world is continuing to mourn the passing of the legendary country singer, actress, philanthropist and all-around icon passed away on August 25 at the age of 80.
In a statement from her team, it was confirmed that Dolly passed away at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, with her nephew Bryan Seaver announcing her death on behalf of the family. Her reps later confirmed that it ended after a “brief battle with cancer”:
At Dolly’s request, a small private service was held for immediate family a few days ago, and her nephew previously revealed to TMZ that Dolly will be buried “in her signature high heels and a comfortable cotton dress” in the mausoleum at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville, Tennessee, where her late husband Carl Dean is buried.
But in true Dolly fashion, her team is not slowing down, and this morning, they announced that a celebration of her life called DOLLYFEST will take place in Nashville, Tennessee and London, England, across two consecutive weekends, in 2027.
It was originally planned as a multi-artist event set for January 2026 in Nashville, and was supposed feature Parton as performer and host in honor of her 80th birthday, has turned into a much larger celebration of her life.
Danny Nozell, Founder/CEO of CTK Enterprises and Dolly’s longtime manager, says that it’s a project Dolly started herself, and before her initial health challenges happened last year, they had the venue booked and the “announcement ready to go”:
“What Dolly started, we will ensure is brought to life. Many people behind the scenes know that DOLLYFEST is a dream of Dolly’s that was intended to take place on her 80th birthday in Nashville. We had the venue booked and we had the announcement ready to go.
And then, in August 2025, Dolly had to take a step back after her initial health challenges. A lot of people always say, WWDD (What Would Dolly Do?), and, well, at this moment, DOLLYFEST is WDWD (What Dolly Would Do!).”
He explained that they are happy for people to celebrate Dolly with the different programs and events that will take place int he wake of her passing, a “traditional memorial” is not something Dolly wanted, and DOLLYFEST will be the party of a lifetime she wanted to share with the world.
“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.
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.”
It’s even more special knowing that this is something Dolly truly wanted, and had a hand in planning. The full lineup of artists and events is still to be announced, but I love the fact that this is something Dolly had directly wished for and was working on.
There are so many ways her life and legacy could be honored, and will be honored, and those are all great things, but to have something like this be carried on in her honor is really special. I have no doubt they will make it as big and sparkly as Dolly would have, and I’m sure it will be a massive success as fans travel from all over to honor Mrs. Dolly.
Information on tickets and specific dates in 2027 will be forthcoming, so stay tuned.
