Miley Cyrus weeps during Dolly Parton tribute at Hollywood Bowl

The singer recalled a childhood memory of watching Parton at the same venue and described the moment as deeply emotional.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 17 Oct 2026 11:03:47 GMT

Miley Cyrus broke down in tears while performing a tribute to her late godmother Dolly Parton at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on Friday, according to both Standard and The Hollywood Reporter.

What happened

The sold‑out concert featured Cyrus opening with a photo of Parton as the opening notes of "Jolene" began. She spoke about the only time she had sat in the audience to watch Parton perform at the Bowl, saying she had wanted simply to be a fan in the crowd. During the performance Cyrus described feeling Parton’s presence and became visibly emotional, describing the memory as “gold to me.”

What the reports add

Standard noted that Parton, who died at age 80 on 25 August after a brief battle with cancer, opened the original show with "The Best Of Both Worlds," the theme from Cyrus’s Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, before revealing her goddaughter was in the audience. The Hollywood Reporter added that Cyrus projected a photo of Parton while "Jolene" played and quoted Cyrus saying, “If she had it her way, and she was playing a show, I’d be standing right beside her in a matching costume.” Both outlets reported that Cyrus said she felt Parton’s presence onstage and grew tearful as she continued.

What was said

Standard quoted Cyrus saying, “I feel her now more than ever,” and describing the memory as “gold to me.” The Hollywood Reporter recorded Cyrus saying, “If she had it her way … I’d be standing right beside her in a matching costume,” and recalling her conversation with Parton where the singer replied, “Okay, Miley.”

How it came about

Cyrus has long cited Dolly Parton as a major influence, referring to her as a godmother. Earlier Felo coverage detailed Cyrus’s conversation with Parton about a new album (Miley Cyrus Shares Final Chat With Dolly Parton About New Album) and noted the surge of tributes across media, including a Strictly Come Dancing icons week featuring "Jolene" (Strictly Come Dancing to honour Dolly Parton and Madonna during icons week). The Hollywood Bowl tribute follows those earlier acknowledgments of Parton’s impact.

Key facts

Miley Cyrus performed a tribute to Dolly Parton at the Hollywood Bowl on 17 October 2026. (standard.co.uk)
Cyrus broke down in tears while recalling a childhood memory of watching Parton at the same venue. (hollywoodreporter.com)
Parton died on 25 August 2026 at age 80 after a brief battle with cancer. (standard.co.uk)