Unanimous vote sees Nashville Airport move to rename itself after Dolly Parton
Nashville International Airport is set to be renamed in honour of Dolly Parton following a unanimous vote by the governing board.
On Friday (September 11), the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority board of commissioners voted 6-0 to start the process of changing the airport’s name in memory of the late country icon.
News of Dolly’s death emerged last month, with her cause of death revealed as a “brief battle with cancer” a few days later. Though she had previously told fans she was “dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to” while looking after late husband Carl Dean, the public had no idea of her cancer diagnosis.
The push to rename the airport actually predates Parton’s death, with a petition to rename the airport “Dolly Parton International Airport” launched in early 2025. In the wake of her passing, the idea drew further support from across the political spectrum. Republican governor Bill Lee proposed the change shortly after her death, and Nashville’s Democratic mayor, Freddie O’Connell, went on to back it.
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“At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state’s favourite daughter,” Lee said in an initial statement, per Billboard.
It's official! The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority Board of Commissioners voted unanimously, 6 to 0, to modify our existing naming policy, marking the first step toward renaming Nashville International Airport® in honor of Dolly Parton. pic.twitter.com/e1N7oF6PBo
— Fly Nashville (@Fly_Nashville) September 11, 2026
Nashville Airport Authority has said that while a name hasn’t yet been finalised, they were “working closely with the appropriate parties to thoughtfully determine how Dolly Parton’s name and legacy will be incorporated”.
They went on to describe the vote as “the first step in a multifaceted process” and said more detailed plans would be shared in the coming months. The final name will be decided jointly by airport leaders and the Dollywood Foundation, the non-profit the singer established in 1988.
Recently, Dolly’s relatives confirmed that the country star’s funeral had taken place in a private ceremony at Nashville’s Woodlawn Memorial Park, where fellow country stars Porter Wagoner, George Jones and Tammy Wynette are also buried.
Dolly’s estate have also confirmed the inaugural edition of the “star-studded” DollyFest, which will last two days in Nashville and London. The festival, which was supposed to go ahead this January if it weren’t for Dolly’s health struggles, will celebrate her legacy “instead of a traditional public memorial”.
Elsewhere, tributes for Dolly have poured in from across the world. Kacey Musgraves performed ‘Here You Come Again’ in Boston, while Maisie Peters covered the same song at Reading Festival.
Jack White played ‘Jolene’ at a London show, while Orville Peck delivered a rendition of ‘I Will Always Love You’. Olivia Rodrigo also dedicated her duet with Sarah McLachlan at Daisy Chain Fields to the later singer.
The NME obituary for Parton concluded: “Resplendent in her rhinestone suit, she embodied both qualities as a unifying icon. The world has become more divided since that set, but everyone will always love Dolly.”
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