Dolly Parton’s dream of celebrating her 80th birthday with a massive party in Nashville is getting a second life!
The Estate of Dolly Parton announced Monday that Dollyfest will take place across two consecutive weekends in 2027, bringing the celebration to Nashville and London in what is being billed as a global celebration of Parton’s life, music, and legacy.
The Nashville festival was originally planned for Jan. 2026, with Dolly herself scheduled to perform and host. After she stepped back from public appearances amid health challenges, the event was postponed. Now, following her death on Aug. 25, her team is moving forward with the celebration she had envisioned.
And honestly, the idea of Dolly’s own dream party becoming one of the ways we celebrate her feels pretty fitting.
“What Dolly started, we will ensure is brought to life,” states Danny Nozell, Founder/CEO of CTK Enterprises. “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 Aug. 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!).”
The 2027 celebration will expand the original Nashville concept into a two-city event, with one weekend in Music City and another in London. Exact dates, ticket information and the artists taking part have not yet been announced.
While there are already plenty of tributes and celebrations planned in Dolly’s honor, her team says Dollyfest is meant to be something different.
“We are not discouraging people from celebrating Dolly in the ways they choose,” Nozell says. “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.”
That’s an important distinction, and one that feels especially relevant right now. Rather than rushing to create a memorial immediately following her death, Dollyfest will give fans time to grieve before coming together for the kind of celebration Dolly herself had envisioned. And if there’s one thing Dolly knew how to do, it was throw a party.
For Nashville, having Dollyfest return to the city where the idea began feels particularly meaningful. The celebration will eventually bring artists and fans together in Music City to honor an artist whose influence on Nashville is impossible to measure.
More information about Dollyfest Nashville 2027, including dates, tickets and performers, will be announced in the coming months.
