Harry Styles Honors Dolly Parton at Madison Square Garden Opening Night

Harry Styles paid tribute to the late Dolly Parton during the opening night of his Madison Square Garden residency on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. The performance came just one day after the country music icon's death was announced, and the singer used the moment to honor her influence on his career. Styles, who is beginning a 30-date run at the iconic New York venue, addressed the audience before playing Parton's 1974 recording of "I Will Always Love You." He told the crowd, "I wanna say a proper thank you to all the musicians over the years who have inspired me. Dolly, we love you. Thank you so much." The band then played the song, and Styles encouraged fans to sing along during the first chorus before the audio faded and transitioned into his own hit, "Sign of the Times." According to reports from the arena, the moment was a heartfelt salute to the singer who died on Tuesday, August 25, at the age of 80. Parton's death was confirmed by her representatives, who stated she passed away peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee, after a brief battle with cancer.