Country music is gathering in Nashville tonight to celebrate one of its most influential figures as “CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton” airs live tonight on ABC.
Produced by the Country Music Association, the two-hour television event brings together Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Lainey Wilson, Kelsea Ballerini, and artists from country, bluegrass, and Broadway to honor Dolly Parton through performances of her music, archival footage and personal stories.
Tonight’s Dolly Parton tribute at a glance
- Airs: Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET
- Channel: ABC
- Live and on demand streaming: DIRECTV (free trial), Fubo (free trial), Disney+ (52% off)
- Filming location: Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Belmont University in Nashville
How to watch the Dolly Parton tribute special live for free tonight
For fans looking to watch without traditional cable, DIRECTV and Fubo both offer live streaming of ABC programming along with free trial promotions for new users. Disney+ will also carry the special live with an option for viewers to save 52% when bundling Disney+ and Hulu.
Who is performing in the Dolly Parton tribute?
The lineup reads like a cross-generational tour through Parton’s enormous musical influence.
Tonight’s performers are:
- Ashley McBryde
- Béla Fleck
- Brad Paisley
- Carly Pearce
- Carrie Underwood
- Darius Rucker
- Ella Langley
- Kelsea Ballerini
- Kristen Bell
- Kristin Chenoweth
- Lady A
- Lainey Wilson
- Little Big Town
- Lukas Nelson
- Molly Tuttle
- Reba McEntire
- Ricky Skaggs
- Sierra Hull
- Vince Gill
- Zac Brown
Amy Grant and Kimberly Williams-Paisley are also scheduled to make special appearances, while a Belmont University student ensemble will participate in a performance connected to the school’s “Dolly U” programming. Expect additional surprise tributes from Parton’s friends across entertainment.
The lineup reaches well beyond contemporary country. CMA describes a program representing multiple generations and genres, including fellow Country Music Hall of Fame members, current country stars, and artists associated with bluegrass and Broadway.
What to expect from tonight’s celebration
Tonight is more than a concert. The program will serve as a celebration of Parton as an artist, songwriter, entertainer, humanitarian, and entrepreneur, with live performances mixed with archival material and stories about her life. This leaves room to explore a career and public legacy that stretched far beyond any one genre or generation.
Even the location carries a connection. Belmont’s Fisher Center was the site of the 2025 premiere of Parton’s autobiographical stage production.
Dolly Parton beyond the music
CMA and Belmont University will make a donation from proceeds connected with the special to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, while Disney is also supporting the organization.
Parton created the Imagination Library in 1995 in her home community of Sevier County, Tennessee, inspired by her father’s inability to read and write. The program sends age-appropriate books to enrolled children from birth to age 5 at no cost to their families.
What happened to Dolly Parton?
Parton died Aug. 25, 2026, at age 80 following what her family described as a brief battle with cancer, according to ABC News.
Tonight’s tribute comes less than two months later and is deliberately focused on celebrating what she left behind.
“I Will Always Love You” mixes country legends, contemporary stars, musicians from neighboring genres, archival material, and personal memories built around the remarkable reach of an artist whose songwriting, personality, and philanthropy became intertwined with American pop culture.
