Part 3 of 3. Read Part 1: festivals, destinations, and the road trip and Part 2: experiences, stays, and dining for the full series.
Getting There from Ireland and Britain
The festival belt is well served from Ireland and across Britain — better than most travellers expect, largely because of Aer Lingus’s expanding transatlantic network out of Dublin and Shannon, and Virgin Atlantic’s growing operation from Manchester.
From Ireland
The Dublin advantage — US Preclearance
Dublin Airport is one of only two airports in Europe with a US Customs and Border Protection preclearance facility (Shannon is the other). Every passenger on a US-bound flight clears American immigration and customs before boarding in Dublin. You land in the US as a domestic passenger — no immigration queue, no customs, bags checked through to your final destination. For connections to New Orleans, Nashville, or Memphis, this is a significant practical benefit: you step off the transatlantic flight and walk straight to your domestic connection.
Dublin → Nashville (BNA) — Aer Lingus, nonstop
Aer Lingus launched a nonstop Dublin–Nashville service in April 2025, operating four times weekly. Nashville is the strongest single gateway for the festival belt — direct access to Bonnaroo, Bristol Rhythm & Roots, and an easy drive toward the Delta. Flight time is approximately nine hours westbound. Clear preclearance in Dublin, land in Nashville as a domestic passenger.
Dublin → Raleigh-Durham (RDU) — Aer Lingus, nonstop (new April 2026)
Aer Lingus launched its inaugural Dublin–Raleigh-Durham service in April 2026, operating up to five times weekly on the A321XLR. This is Raleigh’s first-ever direct link to Ireland, timed to serve fans attending the Raleigh Arts and Food Festivals as well as UNC fans heading to the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin in August. For Raleigh, that means you can now fly nonstop from Dublin instead of connecting through another US hub.
Dublin → New Orleans, Memphis, Tucson — via US hub
There is no nonstop service from Dublin to New Orleans, Memphis, or Tucson. The practical route is Dublin to a US hub — most commonly New York JFK, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Atlanta, or Chicago — with a short domestic connection onward. With preclearance handled in Dublin, the domestic leg is as simple as a connecting flight within the US. New Orleans (MSY) from New York or Atlanta is under three hours. Memphis is comparable. Tucson is two hours from Phoenix or Los Angeles. Aer Lingus, American, United, and Delta all sell through-ticketed itineraries on these routes.
Shannon → US hubs — Aer Lingus and Delta
Shannon Airport also has US preclearance and operates transatlantic services to Boston, New York JFK, and seasonally to Atlanta (Delta). For travellers in Connacht, Munster, or the west of Ireland, Shannon is often the more practical departure point than driving to Dublin. Connections to the festival belt follow the same hub logic as Dublin.
Cork → US — via Dublin or London
Cork Airport has no direct US services; the practical route is a short hop to Dublin for the Aer Lingus transatlantic connections, or into London Heathrow for the broader choice of US destinations via British Airways or Virgin Atlantic. The Dublin option keeps the preclearance benefit intact.
Travelling from Belfast, Dublin Airport is the natural gateway — the M1 puts you there in under two hours, making it a straightforward drive to the Aer Lingus transatlantic network and preclearance. The Enterprise rail service is an alternative if you’d rather not drive. For destinations not served nonstop from Dublin, Manchester via Virgin Atlantic is equally practical — the extra journey time is marginal compared to routing via London Heathrow.
From Britain
Manchester (MAN) — Virgin Atlantic
Manchester is Britain’s strongest hub for transatlantic travel outside London. Virgin Atlantic operates nonstop services from Manchester to New York JFK (daily from March 2026), Boston, Orlando, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Barbados. For the festival belt, the most direct routing is Manchester → Atlanta (Delta/Virgin codeshare) → New Orleans or Nashville. Atlanta is the natural domestic hub for the Deep South — New Orleans is 90 minutes, Nashville is an hour, Memphis 90 minutes. Manchester → New York JFK with a connection to Nashville or New Orleans is equally practical and may offer better fares depending on timing.
London (LHR/LGW) — British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American
London Heathrow has the widest choice of US destinations, with direct services to Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and others — all of which connect cleanly to New Orleans, Nashville, Memphis, or Tucson. British Airways and American Airlines are the dominant carriers, with Virgin Atlantic offering the alternative. London Gatwick has fewer options, typically budget carriers with US connections via Heathrow or US hubs.
Edinburgh (EDI) — connection via London or Dublin
Edinburgh has limited direct US services (mostly seasonal to New York via various carriers). The practical option is London Heathrow for the broadest connection choice, or — for those happy to travel south by train first — Dublin for the preclearance benefit on Aer Lingus.
Birmingham (BHX) and other regional airports
Birmingham Airport serves a range of US connections via London Heathrow and via Amsterdam (KLM), Frankfurt (Lufthansa), or Paris CDG (Air France) if you’re routing through European hubs. For the festival belt specifically, routing through Atlanta or Dallas from any of these European hubs is typically the most efficient path to New Orleans or Nashville.
Key practical notes
Fly into Nashville for Tennessee and Mississippi, New Orleans for Louisiana. These are the two airports that put you closest to the festival belt’s core. Nashville → Clarksdale is 3.5 hours by road down US-45 and US-61. New Orleans → Lafayette is 2 hours west.
Memphis (MEM) is an underused option. With no direct services from Ireland or Britain, Memphis requires a US hub connection — but it sits between Nashville and the Delta, and is itself a music city of the first order (Beale Street, Sun Studios, Stax). If Clarksdale is your primary destination, Memphis is closer than Nashville and worth considering as an entry point.
Tucson (TUS) routes separately. Tucson connects most cleanly from Phoenix (PHX) — a 90-minute domestic hop — which in turn has nonstop services from London Heathrow (British Airways), Dublin (Aer Lingus seasonal), and most major US hubs. There is no practical reason to route Tucson through Atlanta if you’re coming from Ireland or Britain.
Car hire is essential. The festival belt is road trip country, and public transport between these destinations is minimal. Book a hire car at whichever US airport you arrive at — prices are considerably better booked from Ireland or Britain before you travel.
Hiring a Car in the USA
The festival belt cannot be done without a car. New Orleans has reasonable public transport within the city, but getting to the bayou, the Delta, Bristol, or the Smokies requires wheels. Hire it at the airport, book it before you leave home, and drive everything.
Book from home, not at the counter
US airport car hire desks charge considerably more for walk-up bookings than for advance reservations made from Ireland or Britain. Use a comparison aggregator — Auto Europe and RentalCars.com both work well for booking US hire from Irish and British addresses, compare the major suppliers (Alamo, Enterprise, Hertz, Avis, National, Budget), and display the full price including taxes and fees upfront. Booking four to eight weeks ahead for peak festival dates will save significantly over last-minute rates.
Which companies at which airports
All major US rental companies operate at New Orleans (MSY), Nashville (BNA), Memphis (MEM), and Tucson (TUS). At Nashville, Alamo and Enterprise are consistently well-reviewed for the airport pickup process. New Orleans has 27 suppliers at MSY. For the road trip circuit, pick up in New Orleans and drop off in Nashville — one-way rentals carry a fee but Avis, Budget, and Hertz all facilitate this route.
Beyond the traditional companies — the new options
The US car hire market has changed significantly. Beyond the familiar airport desks, three platforms are worth knowing:
Turo — the Airbnb of cars, and the most established peer-to-peer platform in the US. Private owners list their vehicles — everything from a basic compact to a vintage truck to a luxury SUV — and you pick up from the owner’s location, often with delivery to your hotel or airport available for a fee. The selection in New Orleans, Nashville, and Tucson is strong, and the quality varies widely by host. Excellent for finding specific vehicle types (a pickup truck for Bonnaroo camping, a convertible for the Tennessee mountain roads) that airport fleets don’t stock. Also genuinely useful when traditional airport desks sell out during major festival weekends, which they do. One important caveat: most credit cards that cover traditional rental car collision damage do not cover Turo, which classifies itself as a peer-to-peer platform rather than a rental company. Turo’s own protection plans range from basic to premium — factor this into price comparisons.
Kyte — a newer model that delivers the car to you rather than requiring you to collect it. A Kyte driver (they call them Surfers) brings a relatively new, fleet-maintained vehicle to your hotel, Airbnb, or airport and picks it up when you’re done. No queue, no counter, no shuttle to a remote rental facility. Currently operates in New Orleans and Nashville among the festival belt cities, with coverage expanding. The delivery fee is modest (around $17) and reviews from established users are consistently good. Less useful for complex one-way circuits but excellent for a city-based stay with day trip requirements.
Getaround — hourly and daily car sharing, particularly useful for short city stints where you need a car for a half-day bayou trip or an afternoon drive to the Smokies without committing to a full daily rental. Available in New Orleans and other larger cities in the festival belt. Unlock via app, no key handover.
Outdoorsy / RVshare — peer-to-peer RV and campervan rental platforms, relevant if Bonnaroo camping is your mode. Both platforms list private owners’ motorhomes, campervans, and truck campers across Tennessee. Outdoorsy in particular has strong coverage near Manchester, Tennessee for Bonnaroo, and renting through either platform is considerably cheaper than Cruise America or traditional RV hire for a four-day festival. Insurance is included through the platforms. Book early — Bonnaroo weekend listings move fast.
Your Irish or British licence is valid
An Irish or UK driving licence is valid for car hire throughout the United States without any additional documentation. Unlike some European countries, the US does not require an International Driving Permit for Irish or British licence holders. Bring the physical licence — a digital copy on your phone is not sufficient at the rental counter.
Insurance — the thing that catches people out
US rental companies will offer Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and Liability Insurance Supplement at the counter, which can add €25–40 per day to the rental cost. Unlike US-issued cards such as Chase Sapphire, Irish and British credit cards do not carry built-in rental car collision cover as a standard benefit — arriving at a US rental counter assuming your card covers you is one of the more expensive mistakes Irish and British travellers make. Two approaches work:
All-in cover booked upfront — Some aggregators, including Auto Europe and RentalCars.com, offer fully inclusive rates that bundle CDW, theft protection, third party liability, and zero excess into a single price paid before you travel. You pay a higher daily rate but there is nothing to sort at the counter and no excess exposure if you do have an incident. The right option if you want simplicity and a clean handover.
Rental company CDW plus standalone excess insurance — Take the rental company’s standard CDW (which covers the car against damage and theft but typically leaves you liable for an excess of $500–2,000 if you claim), and separately buy a standalone excess policy from a specialist insurer before you travel. Companies like Insurance4CarHire and Questor Insurance sell policies from Irish and British addresses that cover US rentals — an annual policy runs around €40–60 and covers unlimited hire trips worldwide for the year, making it the better value option for anyone hiring abroad more than once. If you do have a claim, you pay the excess to the rental company and reclaim it from your insurer.
Either route works. What doesn’t work is declining CDW at the counter with no alternative cover in place — driving uninsured against vehicle damage in the US is a serious financial risk.
Peer-to-peer platforms (Turo, Getaround) are a separate matter — they operate their own protection plans through the platform, and neither of the above approaches covers them.
One-way rentals and state restrictions
The Great Southern Circuit runs New Orleans to Nashville — a standard one-way route that all major suppliers facilitate, typically with a one-way fee of €50–150 depending on season and supplier. Worth checking when comparing. Note that some budget suppliers (particularly those serving local markets) restrict vehicles to certain states — if you’re crossing from Louisiana into Mississippi into Tennessee, confirm the rental agreement permits multi-state travel. The major national brands all do; regional or discount operators sometimes don’t.
Car size
The roads and parking in this corridor are genuinely wide. A standard US mid-size (roughly equivalent to a Ford Focus or VW Golf) is fine for the Delta and Tennessee. If you’re doing Bonnaroo camping, book an SUV or estate for luggage and festival kit. For the Smoky Mountains, any size works — the roads are well maintained.
Fuel
The US festival belt runs on petrol (gas), and it is cheap by Irish and British standards — roughly €0.80–0.95 per litre at current rates. Fill up before entering rural Mississippi — the Delta has fewer stations than you might expect between towns.
Practical Notes for the Festival Belt
When to go: April and May are the peak window, with festivals stacking from Oxford and Clarksdale through New Orleans, Lafayette, Nashville, Tucson, and Raleigh. September brings Bristol and the Tucson Cultural Experience. June anchors Bonnaroo and Tupelo.
How to move: The festival belt is road trip country. New Orleans to Clarksdale is three hours north on the Blues Highway (US-61). Nashville to Bristol is two hours east into the Appalachians. Tucson stands alone in the southwest but is worth the dedicated trip.
Booking experiences early: The Delta Bohemian Tours in Clarksdale and the Sonoran sunrise balloon in Tucson both fill up significantly around festival periods. Book both before you travel.
Free vs. ticketed: Several of the headline festivals here — Festival International de Louisiane, Double Decker (Oxford), the Raleigh Arts Festival, the Raleigh Food Festival, and the Tucson Cultural Experience — are free to attend. The quality of free in Louisiana and Mississippi is genuinely remarkable.
Weather and What to Bring
For Irish and British travellers, the single biggest planning mistake for the festival belt is underestimating the heat and humidity. This is not European summer. The baseline is different, the sun is stronger, and the air is heavier. What follows is a destination-by-destination breakdown, written for people whose reference point for a warm day is Dublin in August.
New Orleans — Jazz Fest (late April–early May)
Temperature: Highs 26–29°C (79–84°F), lows 17–20°C (63–68°F). Warm by Irish standards but not brutal — this is still spring in New Orleans terms. The humidity is the thing. Even at 27°C it can feel significantly warmer than that number suggests to an Irish body that isn’t accustomed to subtropical air.
Rain: April sits in the middle of the pack for New Orleans rainfall, but “middle of the pack” in a semi-tropical city means afternoon downpours can arrive without warning. Jazz Fest has been washed out before — 2016 saw over four inches of rain across the festival period. The Fair Grounds become genuinely muddy. This is not Glastonbury mud: it’s warm, it dries, but it is real.
What to wear:
- Lightweight, breathable fabrics throughout — linen and cotton rather than synthetic. You will sweat constantly from mid-morning.
- Short sleeves for daytime; a light layer for evening (air conditioning in restaurants and venues is often set arctic — carry something for indoors).
- Comfortable, broken-in walking shoes you don’t mind getting muddy or wet. Not sandals — the Fair Grounds terrain and New Orleans sidewalks are uneven and can get very wet.
- A wide-brimmed hat or cap is essential, not optional. The sun at this latitude is significantly stronger than anything in Ireland or Britain.
- A compact poncho or waterproof jacket — not a heavy one. A thin packable mac rolls into nothing and means you can stay for the whole set when the sky opens.
- Sunscreen factor 50, reapplied throughout the day. This is not a suggestion.
Footwear note: New Orleans veterans wear either proper festival wellies (impractical in the heat) or sturdy trainers with extra socks packed. The shrimp boots you’ll see locals wearing are a real strategy — up to you.
Mississippi Delta — Juke Joint Festival (April) / Double Decker Oxford (April)
Temperature: Clarksdale in late April averages highs of 22–24°C (72–76°F) with lows around 13–15°C (55–59°F). Noticeably milder than New Orleans and considerably more bearable for Irish and British visitors. Humidity averages around 65–70% — present but not oppressive at this time of year.
Rain: April is one of Clarksdale’s wetter months with around nine to ten rainy days on average, though showers tend to be short rather than sustained. Morning breezes can make it feel cooler than the temperature suggests.
What to wear:
- Light layers that can be adjusted — mornings and evenings in the Delta in April can feel close to familiar Irish temperatures (13–15°C), while afternoons warm into genuine short-sleeve weather.
- Comfortable walking shoes — Clarksdale’s Juke Joint Festival spreads across multiple venues and you’ll walk significant distances across uneven ground.
- A light jacket for evenings, especially if you’re staying for late-night music in venues that can feel cool relative to the warm afternoon.
- Sunscreen and sunglasses — the Delta sky is wide open with no shelter from direct sun.
Dress code note: There isn’t one, but the festival has an authentic roots music culture rather than a fashion culture. Comfortable is the right call.
Louisiana Cajun Country — Festival International de Louisiane (late April)
Conditions closely mirror New Orleans — late April in Lafayette runs 25–28°C (77–82°F) with similar humidity. The same packing logic applies. The festival is outdoors across downtown Lafayette streets rather than a single venue, meaning you’re walking more and less static. Even more reason for broken-in footwear.
Bonnaroo — Tennessee (11–14 June)
Temperature: Highs of 30–35°C (86–95°F), lows of 18–23°C (64–73°F). This is peak summer in central Tennessee. Humidity is intense and relentless. Daytime heat at Bonnaroo is not something Irish or British bodies are calibrated for — heat exhaustion is a documented, annual occurrence at the festival.
Rain: Tennessee summer thunderstorms are fast, violent, and unpredictable. The Farm can go from dusty to muddy within an hour. In dry years the ground is compacted and dusty; in wet years it becomes a mud field. Pack for both.
This is the festival that requires the most preparation of any on this list. Think of it less like a music festival and more like a four-day outdoor expedition in extreme heat.
What to bring:
- A large refillable water bottle or hydration pack. Drink constantly — not when you feel thirsty, constantly. Dehydration at Bonnaroo in Irish/British bodies happens faster than you’d expect.
- Moisture-wicking, breathable fabrics exclusively for daytime. Not cotton in the middle of the day — it saturates and stays wet. Technical fabrics that dry quickly.
- A light layer or hoodie for 2–3am when temperatures drop enough to notice, especially if you’re camping.
- A tent with proper ventilation — sealed tents become ovens by 7am. Mesh panels are not optional.
- A portable battery-powered fan for your tent. This sounds like an overreaction. It is not.
- Waterproof footwear or wellies. Also trainers. You need both depending on conditions.
- High-SPF sunscreen in quantity — four days of direct Tennessee sun with minimal shade is serious UV exposure.
- A poncho or packable waterproof for thunderstorms.
- Sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat, a bandana (dust protection and general Bonnaroo practicality).
- A portable phone charger — there are charging stations but queues form.
The one thing Bonnaroo veterans say consistently: arrive Wednesday when gates open. Your campsite choice determines your entire experience, and the good spots go fast.
Bristol Rhythm & Roots — Tennessee (11–13 September)
Temperature: Highs of 24–27°C (75–81°F), lows of 13–16°C (55–61°F). September in the Appalachian foothills is genuinely pleasant — warm days, cool evenings. This is probably the most comfortable weather window in the entire festival belt for Irish and British visitors. Think of a very good Irish summer day, with more reliable sunshine.
Rain: September is the driest month of the year in this part of Tennessee. Rain is possible but unusual. This is the festival where you’re least likely to need waterproofs and most likely to actually enjoy being outside all day.
What to wear:
- Light layers that transition easily from warm afternoon to cool evening — a linen shirt or light jacket you can tie around your waist during the day and put on after sunset.
- Comfortable walking shoes — Bristol Rhythm & Roots spreads across multiple downtown stages and venues, meaning a lot of pavement walking over three days.
- Sunscreen still applies — September sun in Tennessee is stronger than an Irish summer sun at its peak.
- An extra layer for late evening sets — by 9–10pm it can drop to 13–14°C, which will feel cold after a warm afternoon.
Dress code note: Bristol is a street festival in a small city — casual and comfortable is the norm. This isn’t a camping festival; you stay in accommodation and walk to the music.
Tucson — Mariachi Conference (late April–May) / Cultural Experience (October)
Late April–early May (Mariachi Conference): Highs of 30–33°C (86–91°F), lows of 14–17°C (57–63°F). Warm but dry — this is desert heat rather than humid Southern heat, which means the temperature feels more bearable in the shade and drops dramatically at night. The phrase “but it’s a dry heat” is a cliché because it’s true.
October (Cultural Experience): Highs of 28–30°C (82–86°F), lows of 12–15°C (54–59°F). October is considered the best month to visit Tucson by most residents. The summer monsoons have passed, the heat has eased slightly, and the evenings are genuinely pleasant. Possibly the single most comfortable weather window for any Irish or British visitor in this entire guide.
What to wear for both:
- Lightweight daytime clothing — cotton and linen work well in dry desert heat in a way they don’t in humid Louisiana.
- A light layer or jacket is non-negotiable for evenings — the desert temperature swing between day and night is dramatic. 30°C at 2pm and 14°C at 10pm is entirely normal. Don’t be caught without something warm after dark.
- Sunscreen factor 50+ and sunglasses — the Sonoran Desert sun at altitude is intense even in October. UV levels are higher than at sea level, less atmospheric filtering.
- Closed-toe shoes or trainers for any hiking or outdoor activities — sandals are not suitable in desert terrain with cactus spines and uneven ground.
- A sun hat with a proper brim — not a baseball cap. The sun comes at a low angle in the afternoon and a wide brim matters.
The hydration note: Desert dehydration is faster and less obvious than humid heat dehydration — you don’t sweat as visibly but you’re losing moisture constantly through the dry air. Drink water consistently throughout the day regardless of whether you feel thirsty.
General Packing List for the Festival Belt
A consolidated list of things every Irish or British visitor to this corridor should have regardless of specific destination:
Sun protection (non-negotiable at every destination):
- Factor 50 sunscreen — at least 200ml, reapply every two hours outdoors
- Sunglasses with UV protection
- Wide-brimmed hat or cap
Clothing principles:
- Lightweight, breathable fabrics (linen, cotton, technical wicking)
- At least one light packable layer for air-conditioned interiors and cool evenings
- Waterproof jacket or poncho — compact and packable, not a heavy winter mac
- Comfortable, broken-in footwear — never new shoes at a festival
- Extra socks — more than you think you need
Practical items:
- Refillable water bottle (large — 1 litre minimum)
- Portable phone charger / power bank
- Small backpack or crossbody bag for daytime festival use
- Hand sanitiser and wet wipes (particularly for outdoor festival toilets)
- Basic first aid — blister plasters are the most-used item at any walking festival
- Insect repellent — mosquitoes are genuine in Louisiana and Mississippi in late April and May
The one thing Irish and British visitors consistently underpack: sunscreen. The difference in UV intensity between Ireland/Britain and Louisiana, Tennessee, or Arizona is significant. Budget for buying more when you arrive if you run out — don’t assume you brought enough.
Also in this series: Part 1 — Festivals and road trip · Part 2 — Experiences, stays, and dining
On Echtra: Browse curated USA tours and day trips. Festival tickets are not sold on Echtra; use official box offices.