Dolly Parton’s estate announced on Monday that Dollyfest, a festival first planned for her 80th birthday, will take place in Nashville and London in 2027 following the singer’s death after a brief battle with cancer.
The two-day event will replace a traditional memorial, reflecting Parton’s stated preference for a celebration of her life, according to her business manager Danny Nozell. Her family announced her death on Tuesday. Her nephew Brian Seaver shared the news in a video posted on her Instagram.
Nozell, the founder and chief executive of CTK Enterprises, said Dollyfest was “a dream of Dolly’s”. He said, “a traditional memorial goes, that is not something Dolly wanted”.
The festival had initially been scheduled for Nashville in January, on Parton’s 80th birthday. Parton was due to host the original event and perform there.
She had stepped back from the plans while dealing with health issues in recent months. Over the past year, Parton had postponed and later cancelled several shows.
In October, Parton said she was having “a few treatments here and there” at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. In May, she announced that she was cancelling a Las Vegas show. She said then that her immune and digestive systems had “got all out of whack” over the past few years.
Parton, known as the “Queen of Country” music, had also endured the death of her husband, Carl Dean, on March 3, 2025. The couple had been married for over 60 years.
The estate has not announced dates, performers, programming, ticket details or venue information for the 2027 events.
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