DollyFest music festival planned for Nashville and London next year

Dolly Parton’s planned celebration will go ahead as a two-city music festival, with DollyFest scheduled for Nashville and London in 2027.

The two-day event will take place over two consecutive weekends, although organizers have not yet announced the exact dates. Major music stars are expected to participate. Parton’s estate announced the plans after the festival, originally intended for January this year, was canceled because of the singer’s health problems.

“DollyFest will be the kind of once-in-a-lifetime party that only comes around once, and she wanted to invite the whole world,” her representatives said. The event is intended to honor Parton while following an idea she had developed herself, rather than serving as a traditional memorial.

“

DollyFest will be the kind of once-in-a-lifetime party that only comes around once, and she wanted to invite the whole world.

Festival organizer Danny Nozell, founder and chief executive of CTK Enterprises, said fans should feel free to honor Parton in whatever way they choose. He said organizers wanted to wait for the first wave of tributes to pass before carrying out her festival concept, allowing people time to grieve and prepare.

Parton died in Nashville the previous Tuesday at age 80, prompting tributes from Elton John, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Jane Fonda, Taylor Swift, Eminem and Beyoncé. Over a career spanning more than 60 years, she released nearly 50 studio albums, sold more than 100 million recordings and won 10 Grammy Awards. Her songs include “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You.” An unreleased song, “My Place in History,” will remain in a time capsule until 2046, when it is scheduled to be released on what would have been her 100th birthday.

“

We think it is worth waiting a little, allowing the first wave of tributes to happen naturally, and then carrying out the festival idea that Dolly herself really conceived.