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Dolly Parton delays Las Vegas residency, citing health concerns

The country icon joked that she will undergo a “100,000-mile checkup” ahead of her six-show run in 2026

Culture Fellow

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Dolly Parton performs during "Dolly: An Original Musical" fireside chat and press conference on January 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Dolly Parton performs during "Dolly: An Original Musical" fireside chat and press conference on January 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

Dolly Parton won’t make her long-awaited return to the Las Vegas Strip this winter. The country legend announced Sunday that her six-show residency at Caesars Palace, originally set for December, has been postponed until September 2026 while she undergoes medical procedures.

“As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures,” the 79-year-old wrote on social media. “As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile checkup, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”

Parton said the health setbacks would leave her without enough time to rehearse and stage the production as planned. “You pay good money to see me perform, and I want to be at my best for you,” she wrote. “I just need a little time to get show ready, as they say.” Tickets will be honored for the rescheduled dates, with refunds available. The concerts would have marked her first extended run in Las Vegas in more than three decades.

Parton, who rarely cancels public appearances and is known for her tireless work ethic, did not disclose the exact nature of her health issues, though she recently pulled out of a Dollywood appearance after being treated for a kidney stone and infection.

The postponement caps a difficult year for Parton, who in March lost her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean. Still, she emphasized that she has no plans to retire: “God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet. But, I believe He is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures with all of you.”

By Angelina Mazza

Angelina Mazza is a writer living in Brooklyn, by way of Montreal. Her work appears in Slate, Defector, Salon, Literary Hub, The Creative Independent, Paste, Longreads, and elsewhere. Find her online at angelinamazza.com.


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