Dolly Parton's estate has announced DOLLYFEST: The Celebration of a Lifetime, a pair of events planned for Nashville and London on consecutive weekends in 2027. The festival was conceived by Parton herself before her death, originally intended as a multi-artist celebration around her 80th birthday, and her team says they are honouring her wishes by seeing it through rather than staging a traditional public memorial. Longtime manager Danny Nozell said a venue had already been booked before ill health forced Parton to step back from the plans in 2025.

Dates, venues, ticketing and lineup details have not yet been released, with the estate promising further announcements soon. Parton, who died aged 80, had a private family funeral, and Nozell said a conventional memorial "is not something Dolly wanted," describing DollyFest as a more authentic way for fans and artists worldwide to celebrate her while allowing time to grieve. Since her death, numerous artists including Jack White, Ella Langley and Kacey Musgraves have paid tribute during their own shows, and the festival is understood to be part of a broader legacy plan encompassing unreleased music, books and other projects, including one song Parton has locked away until 2045.