Country Music Comes Together to Honor Dolly Parton in Emotional Two-Hour TV Special

Country music is preparing for a heartfelt night dedicated to one of its most beloved figures, Dolly Parton.

The Country Music Association has announced a new two-hour television special honoring Dolly, titled CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton. The live event is scheduled to air Wednesday, October 21, 2026, on ABC and Disney+, with the special becoming available to stream on Hulu the following day.

And that title carries plenty of emotion.

A Night Dedicated to Dolly’s Remarkable Legacy

The CMA says the special will celebrate Dolly as an artist, songwriter, entertainer, humanitarian and entrepreneur whose influence reached far beyond country music.

Dolly died on August 25 at age 80, following what her family described as a brief battle with cancer. Her death marked the end of an extraordinary chapter in music history.

Rather than focusing only on her passing, the CMA says the program will celebrate the incredible life she built and the generations she inspired.

Viewers can expect a combination of live musical performances, archival footage and personal stories, highlighting different moments from Dolly’s remarkable career and the lasting impact of her work.

The Performers Are Still a Mystery

There’s one major detail fans are still waiting to discover: the performer lineup has not yet been announced.

That leaves plenty of room for speculation about which country stars and other artists could take the stage to perform Dolly’s beloved songs and share memories of her life.

The special will be filmed live at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville, with Robert Deaton serving as executive producer.

CMA CEO Sarah Trahern described Dolly as someone who “belonged to the whole world,” while saying the tribute will give the country music community an opportunity to honor and thank her.

Robert Deaton has also spoken about the responsibility of telling Dolly’s story and celebrating both her music and the people whose lives she touched.

Dolly’s Giving Spirit Will Live On

The tribute will also carry forward one of Dolly’s most important legacies: her commitment to children and literacy.

CMA and Belmont University will donate proceeds from the event to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, her renowned book-gifting program that has distributed hundreds of millions of free books to children since it began.

It’s a fitting part of the celebration—because even while honoring Dolly’s life, the event will help continue the work she cared so deeply about.

Save the Date

CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton

📅 Wednesday, October 21, 2026
📺 ABC + Disney+
⏰ 9–11 p.m. ET / 8–10 p.m. CT
📱 Hulu the following day
📍 Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, Nashville

The performer lineup and additional details are still to be revealed.

But the message behind the special is already powerful: Dolly Parton spent a lifetime bringing people together through music—and now, country music is coming together to celebrate her. ❤️🎶