Dolly Parton To Be Honored With DollyFest: 'Party Of A Lifetime,' 'Truly Dreamed Up By Dolly'

The Estate of Dolly Parton announced plans for "a global double-day, double-weekend, double-continent party of a lifetime," in her honor.

Parton's team announced on Monday (August 31) that DollyFest will take place in two continents in 2027. Parton originally planned to host and perform at DollyFest in January 2026. The event would have celebrated her 80th birthday in Nashville, Tennessee; however, the beloved country legend's health challenges led her to postpone the event. The "Team Dolly-produced celebration...will now morph into a global double-day, double-weekend, double-continent party of a lifetime," states a press release issued Monday morning.

"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 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!)."

DollyFest is headed for two of the world's music capitols, Nashville and London. The Estate acknowledged anticipated events throughout the fall in Parton's honor, and deemed DollyFest "the party of a lifetime she wanted to share with the world," the release states. Additional information about DollyFest - including tickets and specific dates - will be available at a later time.

"We are not discouraging people from celebrating Dolly in the ways they choose," Nozell said in a statement. "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."

Parton "died peacefully today in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 80 years old," according to the official statement issued on August 25. Representatives for the late legend later said in a statement to PEOPLE, "after bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones." Parton's family, friends, fellow artists, and many others posted tributes mourning her loss and honoring their memories with her.

Parton's team also shared updates on the singer-songwriter's active projects, including her SongTeller Hotel and Life of Many Colors Museum in Nashville, her Cup of Ambition Coffee, her autobiographical Broadway musical, and more. Nozell said in a statement at that time, "Dolly worked up until the day she died. 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. As the leader of the team responsible for overseeing her legacy, we will ensure the many dreams she had yet to fulfill are brought to life. Many projects were in various stages of development, and we want to be transparent with her fans about this fact. If you see unreleased music, products, books, experiences, and campaigns launched through official Dolly Parton channels, you can have confidence in knowing that she placed her personal stamp on it."