ACM Awards news

Dolly Parton teams up with Garth Brooks to host 2023 ACM Awards in Dallas-Fort Worth

Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton will host the 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards.

Photo by Art Streiber

Country music icon Dolly Parton will grace the stage for the third time as host of the American Country Music Awards, and she's bringing along a newcomer: Garth Brooks. The two superstars will emcee the58th annual ACMstaking place, for the first time, at The Star in Frisco on Thursday, May 11. The show will stream on Prime Video.

“I am thrilled to return to host the ACM Awards, this time with my friend Garth,” Parton says in a release. “While I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with him throughout the years, I can’t believe we’ve never had the chance to work together. In addition to getting to see all this great new talent in country music, I am excited to have the chance to premiere the lead single from my upcoming rock album on the show!”

Adds Brooks, “Anyone with Dolly Parton makes a fantastic couple."

As Billboard reminds, Parton hosted the big awards show solo in 2000, and again last year with co-hosts Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett. It's Brooks' first time to take on co-hosting duties at any awards show. He's coming off a world tour that included a smash-hit show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington in August 2022.

“We are elated to have beloved icon Dolly Parton return to co-host the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards alongside the legendary Garth Brooks,” says Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon and MGM Studios. “As we bring back the Emmy-nominated Academy of Country Music Awards to our global audience, we are thrilled to continue to showcase the power of Amazon to create what will be an unforgettable night of live entertainment experiences with Dolly and Garth at the helm of ‘Country Music’s Party of the Year.’”

According to Billboard, fans shouldn't expect a Parton-Brooks musical collaboration on stage. However, Parton - a recent inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - will be debuting a single from her forthcoming rock album, Rockstar, on the show.

The 2023 edition of the Academy of Country Music Awards will mark a return to Texas for the first time since the landmark 50th ACM Awards, which took place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington in 2015.

A limited number of tickets remain (starting around $400) via SeatGeek, organizers say.

As with any worldwide, Super Bowl-level event, there'll be many happenings leading up to it, including a benefit concert headlined by Morgan Wallen. The country music bad boy (and current superstar and reigning ACM Album of the Year winner) takes top billing on "ACM Lifting Lives LIVE: Morgan Wallen & Friends," a fundraiser for Lifting Lives, the philanthropic partner of the Academy of Country Music.

The show will be held at 7:30 pm Wednesday, May 10 on the golfing green at Topgolf in The Colony. Tickets ($350) for the benefit concert are on sale now through AXS.

Additional events plus ACM award nominees, performers, and presenters for this year’s show will be announced in coming weeks.

58th ACMs ACM Awards Country Music Dolly Parton Garth Brooks awards celebrities

Roller Coaster News

Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington bids farewell to 2 roller coasters

Six Flags

Six Flags Over Texas El Diablo roller coaster, RIP.

Amusement park operator Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is investing more than $1 billion in its theme parks over the next two years, with an array of enhancements for Six Flags Over Texas — including a record-breaking dive roller coaster, slated to launch at the Arlington theme park in 2026.

They'll also give Hurricane Harbor Arlington the largest investment in its history, with the introduction of a massive interactive kids area, Splash Island.

Waterparks and water features have become an increasingly popular category, aided by technological advancements such as man-made surf machines. According to a report by Hotel & Leisure Advisors, 16 indoor waterparks opened or expanded in 2023, and 12 new outdoor waterparks opened. The largest new outdoor waterpark of the year was Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, featuring 11 slides, a lazy river, pools, and swim-up bars.

“Six Flags is dedicated to creating unforgettable experiences and will be implementing a wide array of enhancements throughout the property. Our park's multi-year expansion plans will bring major investments including cutting-edge thrill rides, revitalized family experiences, elevated dining and expanded events,” says the park's president Richard Douaihy in a statement.

And now the sad news. To make room for the all-new dive coaster they're installing at Six Flags, they're retiring two roller coasters:

La Vibora, a steel bobsled-style roller coaster, which opened in 1986
El Diablo, known as a giga loop coaster, which has been in operation since 2019

The rides’ retirement enables the park to make way for a new generation of thrill machines in the Spain section of the park.

'We understand that saying goodbye to beloved rides can be difficult, and we appreciate our guests' passion. These changes are an important part of our growth and dedication to delivering exceptional new experiences. We look forward to sharing more details this summer,” Douaihy says.

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