Watch: Skylines glow pink across the US to honour Dolly Parton

Country music legend Dolly Parton has died at 80, and tributes are pouring in from Nashville to New York. Her family confirmed she died peacefully on Tuesday after a brief battle with cancer.

At 9:25pm, New York’s Empire State Building switched its tower lights to pink, timed as a nod to her hit ‘9 to 5′. Announcing the tribute on X, the Empire State Building Observation Deck called her a global cultural icon whose seven-decade career reached generations of fans, adding, ‘At nine-two-five tonight, we celebrate her and her legacy.’

Tonight, the Empire State Building tower lights will turn to a pink sparkle at 9:25 to honor the late Dolly Parton.

Dolly was a global cultural icon whose seven-decade career reached generations of fans. Beyond entertainment, Dolly leaves a significant philanthropic legacy… pic.twitter.com/Pu5rtdfe0r

Empire State Building Observation Deck (@EmpireStateBldg) August 25, 2026

One New Yorkers POV video captured the switch itself, ending with a simple, breathless ‘It’s beautiful.’  The post went viral with over 4million views and has garnered more than 1 million likes among the thousands of comments.

@deja.was.here “We love you Dolly” Tonight, Tuesday, August 25, 2026, the Empire State Building is officially lighting up pink sparkle from 9:25–10:25 PM ET in honor of Dolly Parton’s life and legacy. #newyorkcity #empirestatebuilding #dollyparton #ripdolly ♬ original sound – Deja was here 👆🏽

New Orleans’ skyline glowed pink too. See @morgan image, and apparently Santa Monica Pier’s Ferris wheel spun through the night in pink hearts and stars.

Picture: @morgan / TikTok

Dallas glowed for Dolly too:

Picture: TikTok / @user5344055572437

Tributes flowed from fellow stars. Reba McEntire wrote, ‘Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart,’ according to Bustle. Taylor Swift said, ‘A world without Dolly doesn’t feel possible, real, or right,’ in a statement shared with TODAY. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani called her ‘an extraordinary person and an irreplaceable champion of the working class,’ CBS New York reported.

Netflix posted Dolly Partons speaking words of encouragement:

Dolly Parton forever ❤️

“You are enough. And anyone who tells you otherwise isn’t worth your time.” pic.twitter.com/kVl4cbk4qw

Netflix (@netflix) August 25, 2026