Originally launched on Change.org in January 2025, the campaign saw a massive surge in supporters following news of the legendary singer’s passing.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Following the death of the beloved country music icon, a grassroots campaign urging officials to rename the Nashville International Airport after Dolly Parton has captured national attention.
The push has generated significant online chatter, with many wondering if viral reports about the signature count are accurate. Did the petition truly surpass 140,000 signatures?
Claim: Petition to rename Nashville International Airport after Dolly Parton reaches 140K signatures
A petition to rename Nashville International Airport to Dolly Parton International Airport has now surged to over 140,000 signatures pic.twitter.com/yrFmAe4Y8g
— Interesting AF (@interesting_aIl) August 27, 2026
The viral wave began when an X user, Interesting AF, posted, “A petition to rename Nashville International Airport to Dolly Parton International Airport has now surged to over 140,000 signatures.”
Shortly after, another prominent account, Polymarket, reported that upwards of 136,000 individuals had backed the effort to honor the singer and actress.
JUST IN: More than 136,000 people have signed a petition to rename Nashville International Airport in honor of Dolly Parton.
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) August 27, 2026
The Change.org drive was originally created by local Nashville photographer Dan Dion and comedian Lydia Popovich. The duo stated they were inspired to launch the initiative after passing through the transit hub and concluding that Parton was the ultimate representation of the Volunteer State’s spirit.
While the petition had hovered around 50,000 signatures for months, it experienced an explosive wave of backing immediately following reports of Parton’s death.
Popovich noted that while she hadn’t been focused on the petition in the wake of the singer’s passing, she was quickly overwhelmed by messages from devoted fans. “People want to remember her. They want to remember even beyond the immediacy of her death,” Popovich shared. “I feel like this is Nashville’s way of telling Dolly that we love her forever.”
Fact Check: The claim is true
The viral claims are accurate. The Change.org petition, titled “Rename Nashville International Airport to Dolly Parton International Airport,” has successfully surpassed 140,000 signatures.
Even so, an official name change is unlikely to happen anytime soon. Despite high-profile endorsements from Tennessee state Representative Todd Warner, Nashville Metro Council member Russ Bradford, and music star Sheryl Crow, bureaucratic and legal hurdles remain.
Bradford is currently drafting a resolution to urge the airport authority to seriously consider the proposal, and Warner has indicated plans to introduce legislation during the upcoming session. However, neither city resolutions nor state laws can unilaterally alter the airport’s name.
The ultimate authority rests with the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA), and any final decision would also require coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Furthermore, MNAA guidelines present a significant obstacle: the facility’s policy typically mandates a strict two-year waiting period following an individual’s passing before any public property can be renamed in their honor.
Beyond the policy waiting period, officials must contend with the financial costs of rebranding and an ongoing legal battle between state officials and Metro Nashville regarding control of the airport board.
In the meantime, the airport has paid tribute to the icon in alternative ways, bathing its parking structures in pink lights to celebrate her extraordinary legacy as a cultural ambassador, philanthropist, and Tennessee treasure.