A campaign to rename Nashville International Airport after the late Dolly Parton has gained widespread support following the world-renowned performer’s death on 25 August 2026.
A petition calling for the tribute on Change.org has, at the time of writing, reached over 170,000 signatures. The movement already existed prior to Parton’s passing, having been created by fans Lydia Popovich and Dan Dion in early 2025. Referencing Parton’s charity work, including her Imagination Library scheme, which has gifted over 100 million books to children since it began in 1995, as well as her contribution to the music industry and “substantial impact on thousands of lives,” they expressed a “deep-rooted admiration for the national treasure and Tennessee legend” and argued that renaming the airport would “honor an icon who has given so much to our state and to the world.”
But it was not until the singer and philanthropist died in late August that the campaign picked up significant traction, with “tens of thousands of additional supporters” visiting the site and signing the petition addressed to the Metro Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA), according to the organisers.
High-profile figures putting their weight behind the cause include Parton’s fellow music artists Sheryl Crow and 1970s country-rock star Emmylou Harris, as well as Republican Tennessee State Representative Todd Warner, who said he would “definitely introduce legislation to rename the BNA airport Dolly Parton International Airport!”
Russ Bradford, Nashville City Councillor, has also given his support to the calls, hailing Parton as more than just a country music icon. He said: “She’s a global ambassador for our city, our state, and everything we love about Tennessee. From her philanthropic work through the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library, to putting Nashville on the map for millions of visitors around the world, few people have done more to define what this city means to the rest of the world.”
However, while noting that he is proud to be a sponsor of the effort, Bradford cautioned that the council’s statement of support is not a “final decision”, since that is a matter for the airport authority.
Parton is credited with doubling visitor arrivals to the Pigeon Forge and Sevierville areas of Tennessee when she opened her Dollywood theme park there in 1986. It has been voted America’s favourite theme park four times, and a Tennessee Department of Transportation case study found that 23,000 regional jobs can be traced back to the park, with an annual direct economic impact of $1.8 billion.
