Someone’s gonna need to reserve me two tickets ASAP for this one-of-a-kind festival.
The Estate of late country music legend Dolly Parton announced just today that their team is putting on two massive festivals in honor of the “9 to 5” singer. The Parton-themed two-day extravaganzas will take place on two consecutive weekends in 2027, with one fittingly being held in Nashville and the following over the pond in London, England.
DOLLYFEST was originally meant to take place this past January 2026, solely in Nashville, with multiple artists in attendance and Parton also featured as the headlining performer and host. Unfortunately, with her passing this past Tuesday, August 25, at the age of 80, the event has since shifted to a larger-than-life celebration across the globe.
Founder/CEO of CT Enterprises, the company behind this legendary festival, shared, “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.” He added, “A lot of people always say, WWDD (What Would Dolly Do?), and, well, at this moment, DOLLYFEST is WDWD (What Dolly Would Do!).”
Following this wise mantra of “WWDD,” he noted that, “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.” In other words, the bright, bubbly, world-loved artist wouldn’t want us moping around in her memory but rather spreading the joyful and giving nature she exuded throughout her lifetime.
The estate is well aware of the numerous events, shows, programs, and tributes that will continue to flood throughout the remainder of the year in remembrance of Dolly; however, this festival will be the ultimate lively homage. While no official date has been announced yet, Nozell hopes its slated 2027 time frame will be beneficial in “giving everyone time to grieve, and giving everyone time to plan.”
Likewise, the participating artists have yet to be named, but I’ve got quite a few country music staples and beyond who I think would make the perfect fit. Just check out the numerous tributes and performances online over the past few weeks, and there are plenty of artists who I’m sure would be more than willing to celebrate Dolly in this manner.
For those equally eager to learn more about this forthcoming Parton-party, visit www.dollyparton.com to sign up and be the first notified about DOLLYFEST details.
