Music fans will be thrilled to hear that Southwest Airlines is launching a new daily nonstop service on April 8, 2025, between the two vibrant music cities of the American South—Memphis and Nashville. The new direct service connects the Home of Blues, Soul, and Rock’ n’Roll with the Music City, allowing travellers to explore both cities without making a difficult choice. Effectively, it offers the best of both worlds in one trip.
The new service will roll out just in time for Memphis’s festival season, with multiple events kicking off in April and May as the temperature rises for the summer. This includes the renowned Memphis in May festival, the brand-new music festival Riverboat, the BBQ competition Smokeslam, which also kicked off for the first time this year, and many more.
Recent data from the Tennesee Department of Tourist Development shows that Tennessee set new tourism records last year. In 2023, Tennessee tourism, largely driven by Memphis and Nashville’s appeal, generated US$30.6 billion in direct visitor spending, a 25% increase over two years. Total visitors in Tennessee topped 144 million last year, an increase of 3 million people since 2022.
This influx of visitors to Tennesee is a true testament to the positive post-pandemic rebound of tourism in this region, something Chris Ingram, Director of Memphis Tourism Australia & New Zealand, is very excited about, “The captivating history and lively musical heritage of not only Memphis but also Nashville, entice millions of travellers to visit each year. We’re delighted to welcome this new service, which will make it even easier for travellers to explore the unique offerings of both cities,” he said.
The Southwest Airlines nonstop service will operate daily between Memphis International Airport (MEM) and Nashville International Airport (BNA) starting April 8, 2025.
Explore more of Memphis here: https://www.memphistravel.com/.
Tickets are on sale at www.southwest.com.
Delta Air Lines will launch a daily nonstop service between Memphis International Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport starting May 7, 2025. Delta will utilise a 76-seat Embraer 175 aircraft for the route. Tickets are on sale at www.delta.com.
Memphis quick facts
Tennessee’s second-largest city, Memphis, is famous for its music, great food (and we’re not just talking about the fantastic BBQ), and significant place in America’s civil rights history: exceptional hotels and something to please every type of traveller await in Memphis.
Australians can travel to Memphis via:
United Airlines: Sydney – Houston – Memphis (or from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne via LAX or SFO
American Airlines (and Qantas codeshare): Sydney – LAX – Dallas Fort Worth – Memphis;
Melbourne/Sydney – Dallas Fort Worth – Memphis
Brisbane – Dallas Fort Worth – Memphis (October – March seasonal route)
Delta Airlines: Sydney – LAX – Minneapolis – Memphis
Air New Zealand: via AKL – Houston – Memphis
