Dolly Parton Estate Announces What They’re Planning Instead of ‘Traditional’ Memorial

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel.

Dolly Parton’s life and music will be celebrated with two weekend-long celebrations called “DollyFest,” her estate announced Monday.

America’s beloved Queen of Country Music died at the age of 80 on Tuesday, sparking a global outpouring of emotional tributes for the legendary singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman, and philanthropist. Parton’s family, friends, and fans shared their admiration for her musical talent, sparking sense of humor, and monumental generosity that included millions of dollars she gave to causes ranging from aiding local residents rebuilding after the Great Smoky Mountains wildfires, helping bring the American bald eagle back from the edge of extinction, funding the early stages of research into Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine at Vanderbilt University, and giving over 300 million books to children through her Imagination Library.

Parton’s official website has provided updates on the status of her active projects, promising fans that her team “will continue bringing to life her multitude of projects that were in development” and “ensure the many dreams she had yet to fulfill are brought to life.”

“Dolly worked up until the day she died,” said Parton’s longtime manager Danny Nozell. “She loved seeing her dreams come to life, and loved knowing her work brought people joy. Ever the planner, Dolly worked with the team that she handpicked, for the past several years to build a project roadmap that will guide us for decades to come.”

Among those “dreams” of Parton’s was an event in Nashville, Tennessee originally intended for her 80th birthday in January, but which was postponed due to her health concerns. Those plans have been repurposed by Parton’s Estate into “DollyFest,” Parton’s website announced on Monday, describing “the official Team Dolly-produced celebration in Parton’s honor” as “The Celebration of A Lifetime.”

DollyFest will take place in Nashville and London, England during two consecutive weekends in 2027.

DollyFest logo via DollyParton.com

“What was originally planned as a multi-artist event for January 2026 in Nashville and intended to feature Parton as performer and host, will now morph into a global double-day, double-weekend, double-continent party of a lifetime,” the announcement said.

Nozell cited the popular “What Would Dolly Do?” memes in promising DollyFest “will be the party of a lifetime she wanted to share with the world”:

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!).

Nozell added that the Parton Estate knows there are already many planned events, concerts, and other programs being organized to honor Parton, but “[w]e 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,” he continued. “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.”

Details on specific dates, locations, and tickets “will be forthcoming” on the website, the announcement concluded, urging fans to sign up for updates.

Numerous other plans to commemorate Parton’s life are in the works, including renaming the Nashville airport after her, and the University of Tennessee Volunteers football team announced the team would wear a sticker with a butterfly and her signature on their helmets all season.

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