Dolly Parton was honored on Saturday, Aug. 29, with a heartwarming tribute show at the Grand Ole Opry. This comes after the singer passed away at the age of 80 on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, after a brief battle with cancer.
Speaking with Page Six, an attendee told the outlet that it was “very emotional” and “incredibly beautiful,” adding that it was a “completely sold-out show,” and there was “not an empty seat.”
“Her niece Jada Star made a surprise appearance to perform [‘The Orchard’] in honor of her late aunt,” the guest revealed, adding that Jelly Roll also performed a rendition of the singer’s hit song 9 to 5 alongside Carly Pearce. Other performers included Channing Wilson, Belle Frantz, Kathy Mattea, Molly Tuttle, Dan Tyminski and T. Graham Brown.
At the end of the show, a video of Parton singing “I Will Always Love You,” from one of her past Opry performances, played as “performers and backstage guests watched from on stage.”
Dolly Parton’s Niece, Jada Star, Performs
Prior to the event, Star announced on Facebook that she would be performing, “The Orchard,” which they had previously performed for Parton’s family album, Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables, in 2024.
“I have been asked to sing my song ‘The Orchard’ tonight as part of the Grand Ole Opry’s tribute to my incredible aunt, Dolly Parton,” she wrote. “I am walking around in a fog of sadness, like all of you have.💔 I do not take this honor lightly.”
“I will stand on that stage tonight, the stage she loved so much, and share my song I wrote for her and for my whole family,” Star continued. “Know that we appreciate every single tribute, message, and kind word you have all shared the past few days.
“We appreciate all of you. Please tune in to see some beautiful tributes and performers. Link to stream in bio❤️ 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋,” she concluded.
Dolly Parton’s Estate Putting On Festival In Her Honor
The singer’s estate will be hosting “DollyFest: The Celebration of a Lifetime,” which si set to take place in Nashville and London on successive weekends in 2027. The exact dates have not yet been announced.
“What was originally planned as a multi-artist event for January 2026 in Nashville and intended to feature Parton as performer and host will now morph into a global double-day, double-weekend, double-continent party of a lifetime,” the announcement for the festival said.
Her longtime business partner and founder/CEO of CTK Enterprises, Danny Nozell, said in a statement that “as far as a traditional memorial goes, that is not something Dolly wanted.”
“What Dolly started, we will ensure is brought to life. 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!),” Nozell continued.
