Dolly Parton Opens Up About Her Health And Announces A Bold New Chapter

Dolly Parton, 80, has canceled her already-postponed Las Vegas shows, delivering the bad news alongside a health update in a Monday Instagram video.

Dolly Parton jumped on Instagram with a health update and, yeah, some disappointing tour news. The short version: she says she is getting better, but the Las Vegas shows that were pushed back are now off the table entirely.

The health update, straight from Dolly

In a video posted Monday, May 4, the 80-year-old icon said the treatments she is on are working and she feels stronger day by day. The catch is those same meds also make her feel a little woozy. Or, as she put it, a bit 'swimmy-headed.' Not great when you are trying to haul guitars and banjos around in five-inch heels.

She framed it with a very Dolly metaphor: think of her as a classic car in the shop. Once the hood came up, it turned out she needed a full tune-up — we are talking an engine rebuild, a slipping transmission, a leaky oil pan, a busted muffler, shocks and pistons that need swapping, and yes, fresh spark plugs. Point is, this is a longer pit stop than she hoped.

There is some context here. Last year, she dealt with kidney stones and an infection, and over the past two to three years her immune and digestive systems have been knocked out of balance. Doctors are focused on restoring and strengthening all of that, and she is optimistic she will be back to full strength once the rebuild is done.

About those Las Vegas shows

For anyone keeping track of the scheduling saga, here is the clean version:

• Originally planned for December 2025 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas
• Postponed due to health and moved to September 2026
• As of her May 4 video, the Vegas dates are canceled

She apologized to fans who had tickets, told everyone to still go have a big time in Vegas if you are already headed there, and floated a consolation prize: come to New York later this year and see her stage show instead.

What she is still working on

Even with live shows off the calendar for now, she is not idle. She is recording videos, dropping by Dollywood here and there, and putting serious time into two big Nashville projects: a museum and a hotel she says she is pushing to open later this year. On top of that, she is writing and reworking her Broadway project, 'Dolly: A True Original Musical, ' which is expected to open in New York later this year.

The personal side

Dolly also addressed the tougher emotional stretch she has been through since her husband, Carl Dean, died in March 2025. She said the first year without him — the holidays, their anniversary, the day he passed — was rough. She thanked fans for the love, said it truly helped her heal, and made it clear she will always love and miss him.

"Doctors assure me everything I have is treatable... I will always love you."

So that is where things stand: health trending up, live shows paused, and plenty of Dolly projects still coming down the pike if you want to see what she is cooking next.