Dolly Parton, 80, was forced to cancel her in-person appearance at Dollywood's grand opening of the NightFlight Expedition attraction on August 15, 2026, after experiencing 'dizziness and dehydration'. The country music legend appeared virtually from her home in Nashville, following doctor's orders not to travel.
Health Issues and Doctor's Orders
Addressing the crowd at the Tennessee-based theme park, Parton explained: 'I'm supposed to be there in person, like we planned. Now I've told you before, all my fans, that I have had a few little health issues. And sometimes I get a little dizzy, and I get dehydrated. And I'm dehydrated. And so my Nashville doctor clipped my wings, saying you ain't travelling this week.'
She appeared on screen with a pair of fairy wings on her back, adding: 'So I guess if your doctor tells you you ain't travelling this week, you ain't travelling this week.'
Ongoing Health Struggles
Parton has been publicly dealing with health issues since September last year, leading to the cancellation of various concerts and events. In May, she cancelled her Las Vegas residency after initially postponing it in September, explaining she still 'has some healing to do'.
In a social media update, she said: 'First it's concerning my health and I have some good news and a little bad news. The good news is I'm responding really well to meds and treatments and I'm improving every day. Bad news is it's gonna take me a little while before I'm up to stage performance level because some of the meds and treatments make me a little bit swimmy-headed as my grandma used to say.'
She reassured fans: 'Of course I can't be dizzy, carrying around banjos, guitars and such on five-inch heels. And you know that I'm gonna be wearing them!'
Previous Cancellations and Reassurances
This is not the first time Parton has had to cancel a Dollywood appearance. In September last year, she pulled out of an event after getting a 'kidney stone' which was causing her 'lots of problems'. She shared: 'Turns out there was an infection and the doctor said, "You don't need to be travelling around this minute. You need a few days to get better."'
Despite the setbacks, Parton has remained positive, telling fans: 'I'm doing really well, and they assure me that everything I have is treatable, so I'm going with that, and I just want you to know I thank you for standing by me and that I will always love you.'
