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Sheridan Smith and more stars confirmed for Dolly Parton tribute at BBC's Last Night of the Proms

A star-studded line-up will join the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus on stage to perform a medley of Parton's hits.

Dolly Parton performs on The Pyramid Stage on Day 3 of the Glastonbury

Getty

Published: Thursday, 10 September 2026 at 10:55 am

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Sheridan Smith, Beverley Knight and pop duo Ward Thomas are set to perform at the Last Night of the Proms on Saturday (12 September) in a tribute to Dolly Parton.

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Titled To Dolly, With Love and arranged by Fiona Bruce, the segment will see Smith, Knight and Ward Thomas join the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus on stage to perform a medley of Parton's most celebrated hits, following The Queen of Country’s passing in August aged 80.

Gavin & Stacey star Smith will perform 9 to 5, singer Knight will perform I Will Always Love You and duo Ward Thomas, made up of twins Catherine and Lizzy Ward Thomas, will sing Jolene.

The tribute will kick off the second half of the show, from 9pm on BBC One, and will be led by presenters Katie Derham and Nick Mohammed. The first half of the show will begin at 7:10pm on BBC Two.

Sheridan Smith smiling at the camera

Sheridan Smith. Mike Marsland/WireImage

The concert will also be broadcast live on Radio 3 and BBC Sounds from 7:10pm, presented by Petroc Trelawny and Georgia Mann.

Sam Jackson, controller of Radio 3 and BBC Proms, said in a statement: “This year’s Last Night of the Proms promises to be a joyous celebration, bringing together world-class performers, much-loved repertoire and memorable musical moments.

"Across eight weeks, audiences have embraced the Proms in record numbers on our broadcast platforms, while around 300,000 people have joined us at the Royal Albert Hall and at venues across the UK. We very much look forward to the centenary of the BBC Proms next year but for now, we can't wait to celebrate the end of the 2026 season in style!”

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Suzy Klein, the BBC's head of arts and classical music TV, added: “The BBC Proms has once again connected audiences across the UK and beyond through an extraordinary summer of live music.

"We’re incredibly proud of the range and quality of concerts across BBC television and BBC iPlayer, and the Last Night will provide the perfect finale to an unforgettable season. And while the season may be drawing to a close, audiences will be able to enjoy the Proms on BBC iPlayer for a whole year afterwards."

The Last Night of the Proms airs live on Saturday 12 September on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Sounds and in two parts on live TV: part 1 on BBC Two and iPlayer from 7:10pm, and the finale on BBC One and iPlayer from 9pm.

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Authors

RadioTimes.com senior trends writer Molly Moss. She is sitting outside wearing a black top, holding a white teacup with a smily face on it to her mouth

Molly MossTrends Writer

Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.

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