The Grand Ole Opry is preparing a special night to honor the life and legacy of Dolly Parton.

Parton became an official member of the Grand Ole Opry on January 4, 1969, beginning a relationship with the legendary Nashville institution that lasted for more than five decades. She remained an Opry member for 57 years until her death on August 25, 2026, at age 80.

Now, the Opry is dedicating its Saturday night show on August 29 to the country music legend.

The special performance will begin at 7 p.m. CT and was originally scheduled as a regular Opry show. Following Parton’s death, however, the Opry decided to turn the evening into a celebration of her remarkable life and career.

Several performers will honor Parton through music, while other special moments are expected throughout the night.

The lineup includes Opry members Carly Pearce, Kathy Mattea and T. Graham Brown. Pearce has a particularly special connection to Parton, as Dolly personally invited her to become an Opry member in 2021.

They will be joined by Molly Tuttle, Channing Wilson, Dan Tyminski and Belle Frantz, who will make her Grand Ole Opry debut. The Opry Square Dancers will also take part in the evening.

Fans who are unable to attend the show in Nashville will still have several ways to watch or listen from home. The tribute will be livestreamed through the Opry’s Facebook and YouTube channels, as well as digital streaming partners Circle Country and RFD-TV.

The show will also be available through WSM Radio and SiriusXM’s Willie’s Roadhouse.

But the evening will be about more than remembering Dolly through her music. It will also support one of the causes closest to her heart.

A portion of the ticket proceeds from the tribute show will benefit Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the literacy organization she founded in 1995.

The program has since given more than 300 million free books to children around the world, creating a lasting part of Parton’s legacy far beyond country music.

Parton was inspired to create the organization partly because of her father, Robert “Lee” Parton, who could not read or write. She often spoke proudly about how much he loved seeing children receive books through the program.

Dolly once recalled that her father told her the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing she had ever done.

He also loved hearing children call her “The Book Lady,” a nickname that reflected the impact she had on young readers.

Following Parton’s death, her family asked fans who wanted to honor her memory to consider donating to the Imagination Library instead of sending flowers.

That makes the Grand Ole Opry’s upcoming tribute especially meaningful. The organization is not only celebrating one of its most beloved members but also helping continue the work she cared about so deeply.

Dolly Parton spent more than 50 years as part of the Opry family. On August 29, her fellow artists and fans will gather once again in the place where so much of her incredible journey began.

She may be gone, but through her songs, her kindness and the causes she supported, Dolly’s legacy will continue to live on.