Lainey Wilson spotlighted “one of my dearest friends,” late legend Dolly Parton when she took the stage at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival presented by Capital One.

Wilson took the stage on Saturday night (September 19) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The reigning Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year said Parton was “my hero,” and “the lady that I looked to for everything.

“They say never meet your heroes, but that did not count with Dolly Parton,” Wilson told the crowd. “She was better than I could have ever imagined. … Let’s celebrate for Dolly Parton, y’all!”

The Whirlwind hitmaker went on to play “WWDD,” a song she wrote for Parton that appeared on her major-label debut, Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’, in 2021. Wilson penned the song with Casey Beathard and Michael Heaney. It was produced by Jay Joyce. She went on to cover one of Parton’s most iconic anthems of all time, “9 to 5.”

Parton “peacefully” passed away on August 25 in Nashville, Tennessee, an official statement confirmed, along with a message from Parton’s nephew on behalf of the family. She was 80. Parton’s representatives later said in a statement to PEOPLE, “after bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.” Parton, who opted to keep her cancer battle private, has been laid to rest beside husband Carl Dean. Parton lost her husband of nearly six decades in March 2025. He was 82.

Wilson took part in the all-star lineup with BTS, Benson Boone, Cardi B, Ciara, Goo Goo Dolls, LE SSERAFIM, Kenny Chesney, Major Lazer, Muse, Snoop Dogg, The Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer and Zara Larsson, plus a special performance by Stella Lefty. Ryan Seacrest returned to host the event. Check back with iHeartRadio throughout the weekend for photos, backstage moments you won’t see anywhere else, performance highlights and more.

Fans can tune in to the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival as the event will be broadcast live each night via iHeartMedia radio stations throughout the country across more than 150 markets. Disney + and Hulu will be the Official Streaming Destination of the festival, with performances livestreamed each night exclusively to all Disney + and Hulu subscribers.

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Kristina