Take I-55 South from Memphis, cross into Mississippi, and the Church Road exit (Exit 287) comes up in about 20 minutes. Landers Center is a right turn and a left turn from there — easy enough that a lot of groups don't think twice about driving themselves. Then the 10,000-person Blues Festival lets out at 10 PM, or the Mid-South Fair runs into its third straight night of packed weekday sessions, and every car in the 3,000-space lot tries to squeeze back onto Church Road at once.
A Memphis party bus rental to Landers Center trades that exit scramble for a single vehicle that drops your group at the Venture Drive entrance, stages in the lot during the event, and rolls back to Memphis when you're done — no rideshare coordination, no lot navigation, no one drawing straws for the sober drive home.
Landers Center (4560 Venture Drive, Southaven, MS 38671) opened in September 2000 as the DeSoto Civic Center, was renamed in 2012 after Memphis-based Landers Auto Group purchased the naming rights, and now seats up to 10,045 for in-the-round shows — 9,000 for Memphis Hustle basketball, up to 7,888 for end-stage concerts. It's the entertainment anchor for DeSoto County and the only major mid-sized arena serving the Memphis metro that isn't sitting in downtown urban traffic. Free surface-lot parking is the headline advantage.
The footnote for 2026: a $35 million expansion project adding a Hilton Embassy Suites hotel and 100,000 square feet of convention space is actively under construction, with completion expected in summer 2027, and some lot areas are being redrawn around the build site. Renting a bus to Landers Center from Memphis puts the lot logistics on someone else for the night. Call 901-203-3181 or use the online quote form to check pricing in under a minute.
Why Rent a Bus to Landers Center?
Free parking at a 3,000-space surface lot sounds like the argument against renting a bus. If you're a single car with two people heading to a Tuesday Hustle game, it probably is — the lot is easy and the Church Road exit clears fast on a slow night. But move the headcount past a few cars' worth of people, or pick one of Landers Center's high-traffic dates, and the calculus flips completely.
The Mid-South Fair runs 11 consecutive days, October 1–11, with opening sessions starting as early as 1 PM on weekends — meaning Church Road absorbs sustained daily traffic for a week and a half straight, with no off-peak window on the weekends. Blues Festival night (October 17, 2026) puts 7,000 to 10,000 people in one arena and releases them all at the same moment; the Southaven rideshare supply after a sold-out Saturday show is nowhere near enough to absorb that, and the post-midnight fare back to Memphis is its own problem. And with expansion construction reshaping portions of the campus through summer 2027, confirmed lot access from a prior visit may not match what greets your group on arrival night.
One charter bus rental to Landers Center handles all three scenarios with one booking. Your group loads at a single Memphis pickup point, drops at the Venture Drive entrance, and the bus stages in the surface lot until you signal for pickup. Nobody hunts for a parking spot.
Nobody waits 40 minutes for a rideshare that may or may not show. The whole thing runs on your schedule, not the venue's exit crowd. That's the case for a bus — not a pitch, just math.
Charter Bus & Party Bus Drop-Off at Landers Center
Landers Center sits on a wide-open surface campus fronted by Venture Drive and Pepper Chase Drive. Per the venue's published guidance, rideshare pickup and drop-off is designated on Venture Drive or Pepper Chase Drive — and bus groups use the same frontage approach. Your bus pulls to the main entrance on Venture Drive, your group steps off at the doors, and the bus stages in the lot during the event.
There's no tight urban block to navigate, no garage height restriction to clear, no credentialed-entry commercial lane. The surface lot gives an oversized vehicle genuine room to maneuver.
Accessibility guests should park on the West side and enter at the Nissan entrance, per the venue's official FAQ, where an elevator serves guests with limited mobility. Groups that need accessible entry should note it when requesting a quote — the West-side approach routes the bus directly to the Nissan entrance without circling the main Venture Drive crowd. The box office line for accessibility seating is (662) 470-2131.
Always check the Landers Center FAQ before your visit for any construction-related lot changes specific to your event date.
Landers Center has approximately 3,000 free surface parking spaces — no pre-purchased pass, no garage fee required for cars or buses. The ongoing $35M expansion project through summer 2027 may adjust specific lot sections; confirm your bus's staging area when you book so there's no surprise at a redirected lot entrance on a fair night.
One detail first-timers frequently miss: Landers Center is a cashless venue. The box office, concessions, and merchandise all run on cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay — no cash accepted. That doesn't change anything about the bus, but it's the kind of operational fact that saves a scramble at the gate for anyone who came expecting a cash line.
The I-55/Church Road Approach from Memphis
The route from Memphis is straightforward: I-55 South from downtown, cross the Tennessee-Mississippi state line, and take Exit 287 (Church Road). Right off the exit, left onto Venture Drive, and Landers Center is immediately on your left. Off-peak, that's about 20 minutes from downtown Memphis and 15 to 20 minutes from Memphis International Airport (MEM) — the airport sits south of downtown, already partway toward Southaven, which makes it one of the cleaner airport-to-arena runs in the metro.
Fly in, bus picks up at the baggage claim curb, and you're at Landers Center in under 20 minutes. See the Memphis airport shuttle guide for how MEM group pickups are coordinated.
On event days, Church Road is where travel times change. The Mid-South Fair's daily opening surge — 4 PM weekdays, 1 PM weekends, 10 AM on Wednesdays — sends a concentrated wave of cars through Exit 287 in a tight window over 11 consecutive days. Blues Festival night on October 17, 2026 releases a near-capacity crowd after the final set, and post-concert Church Road traffic backs toward the interstate with everyone heading north to Memphis at the same time.
Renting a bus to Landers Center from Memphis handles both directions of that run in one booking — your group loads at a pickup point before the inbound rush, and the return route is the bus's problem, not yours.
Distances and approximate off-peak drive times from common Memphis pickup points:
| From… | Approx. distance | Typical drive time (off-peak) |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Memphis | ~17 miles | 20 minutes |
| Midtown Memphis | ~20 miles | 22–25 minutes |
| Memphis International Airport (MEM) | ~14 miles | 15–20 minutes |
| East Memphis / Germantown | ~22 miles | 25–30 minutes |
| Collierville | ~30 miles | 30–35 minutes |
What's on at Landers Center in 2026 and the 2026–27 Season
"Weird Al" Yankovic: Bigger & Weirder Tour — September 26, 2026, 8:00 PM. An 8 PM start means Memphis groups need to be on I-55 by 6:30 to 6:45 to be settled before the opener — right in the middle of evening commute flow. A Southaven party bus rental puts your group in one vehicle from pickup to the arena doors without anyone watching a GPS and missing the opening act.
Mid-South Fair — October 1–11, 2026. The fair has been at Landers Center since 2009, and 11 consecutive days of operation makes this the venue's longest sustained traffic event every year. Hours break down as: weekdays open at 4:00 PM, Wednesdays at 10:00 AM, and weekends at 1:00 PM.
The 2026 edition brings over 50 carnival rides, pig races, a new grizzly bear experience, a circus show, and live entertainment across the run. With expansion construction active on the campus, the lot layout for 2026 is best confirmed on the official Mid-South Fair page at Landers Center before you go. A Memphis private event party bus rental is the cleanest way to get a large family or friend group down to Southaven for a fair session — especially on weekend openings when Church Road fills fast and a bus counts as one vehicle regardless of how many are on board.
23rd Annual Memphis Tri-State Blues Festival — October 17, 2026. Doors open at 5:30 PM, show starts at 6:30 PM. The 2026 lineup includes Tucka, King George, Cecily Wilborn, Glenn Jones, Mike Clark Jr., West Love, and EJ Jones — hosted by Henry Welch — in what shapes up as a full night in a near-capacity arena.
Full event details and tickets are on the official Landers Center Blues Festival page. The Saturday night timing, the full-capacity crowd, and the post-show I-55 northbound run make this the year's single highest-demand date for a Landers Center Memphis concert party bus rental. Book by September — October weekend night vehicles go fast.
Call 901-203-3181 to check availability now.
Memphis Hustle basketball — November through March. The Memphis Hustle, the NBA G League affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies, plays their full home slate at Landers Center. Weeknight games tip off in the 7 PM range and run past 9 PM — close enough to make an independent ride back to Memphis feel like a plan, until the arena empties at once and Southaven rideshare supply can't handle it.
A Memphis sporting event party bus rental keeps your Hustle group together from pickup to the final buzzer. If your group also follows the parent club at FedExForum, the FedExForum transportation guide covers that run separately.
Federal Prospects Hockey League — 2026–27 season. Landers Center is set to add a new FPHL expansion team starting in the 2026–27 season — professional hockey joining the existing basketball, concert, and family show calendar. Schedule announcements will appear on the Landers Center events page as the season approaches.
What Size Bus Fits Your Landers Center Group?
The Memphis-to-Southaven run is short — 20 minutes off-peak — so group size matters more than long-haul comfort for most Landers Center trips. The exception is Blues Festival night, where the bus may stage for four or five hours and climate control and reclining seats become worth caring about. Here's how the vehicle lineup maps to a Landers Center run:
| Vehicle | Seats | Best for | Key amenities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van | Up to ~14 | Small groups, corporate outings, airport runs | Premium leather seating, USB charging, tinted windows |
| 25-passenger party bus | ~25 | Friend groups, Blues Festival groups, birthday outings | LED lighting, premium sound system, flat-panel TVs |
| 15–35 passenger minibus | ~15–35 | Hustle fan groups, fair trips, mid-size groups | Powerful A/C, plush reclining seats |
| 40–56 passenger charter bus | Up to 56 | Large groups, corporate outings, fair shuttles | Reclining seats, climate control, overhead storage, onboard restrooms, undercarriage bays |
For Mid-South Fair trips with strollers, extra layers, and fair haul, a full-size charter bus with undercarriage bays handles the gear without cramming anything into overhead bins. For a Blues Festival night with 20 people from Midtown, a 25-passenger party bus with LED lighting and a sound system keeps the energy going both ways. ADA-accessible vehicles are available through the network — just note your needs when requesting a quote and the right vehicle can be arranged.
Landers Center Party Bus Rental Prices
Partybusmemphis.net connects you to bus companies serving Memphis and Southaven through one quick form — no account required, pricing comes back in under a minute. To give you an idea of what a Landers Center bus rental might run:
- A 15–35 passenger minibus typically runs $200–$250 per hour on weekdays and $200–$275 per hour on weekends.
- A 25-passenger party bus typically runs $250–$350 per hour on weekdays and $275–$375 per hour on weekends.
- A 40–56 passenger charter bus typically runs $200–$350 per hour on both weekdays and weekends.
Pricing moves with your date, group size, total hours, and demand. A sold-out Blues Festival Saturday will price differently than a Tuesday Hustle game, and a Memphis-to-Southaven run with a four-hour staging window is a different quote than a quick round-trip with no wait. Those variables are why the quote form or a call to 901-203-3181 gives you pricing for your specific trip instead of a general range — you'll have a quote in about a minute.
See the Memphis party bus prices page for a broader look at what shapes the rate.
The per-person math is worth running before you dismiss the bus. A 35-person group renting a 40-passenger party bus for Blues Festival Saturday — pickup in Midtown at 4:30 PM, at Landers Center for the 5:30 door, post-show pickup around 10:30 PM — runs roughly six hours. Split across 35 people, that frequently undercuts what three or four cars pay in gas combined with late-night rideshare surge pricing on a sold-out Saturday night from Southaven back to Memphis.
What to Know Before You Arrive at Landers Center
A few things every group organizer should have locked in before the bus rolls, pulled directly from the venue's published FAQ:
- Clear bag policy. Each guest may bring one clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bag no larger than 12" × 6" × 12", or a one-gallon clear freezer bag (Ziploc-style), plus a small clutch no larger than 4½" × 6½". Backpacks, duffel bags, briefcases, coolers, and rolling luggage are prohibited.
- No outside food or beverages. Containers, bottles, and cans are not permitted inside — concessions handle food and drinks at the venue.
- Cashless venue. All transactions run on cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay. Cash is not accepted at any point of sale.
- Accessibility. ADA guests park on the West side and enter via the Nissan entrance, where an elevator is available. Contact the box office at (662) 470-2131 to arrange accessible seating in advance.
- WiFi. Free throughout the venue on the "LandersGuest" network.
We recommend checking the official Landers Center FAQ before your visit — with the expansion construction underway through summer 2027, specific lot sections and access points may shift between events, and the FAQ is updated accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Busing to Landers Center
Where exactly does a charter bus drop off at Landers Center?
Bus and rideshare drop-off is designated along Venture Drive or Pepper Chase Drive, the two roads fronting the venue campus. Your bus pulls to the main entrance on Venture Drive and drops your group at the doors. Groups needing accessible entry should request the West-side approach to the Nissan entrance when booking, where an elevator serves guests with limited mobility.
Is parking free at Landers Center?
Yes — Landers Center has approximately 3,000 free surface parking spaces, and no pre-purchased pass is required for standard lots. For buses staging during an event, the open surface lot gives an oversized vehicle room to park without the height or access restrictions of a garage. Because expansion construction through summer 2027 may redirect portions of the lot, confirming your bus's staging area when you book is the smart move rather than arriving at a redirected entrance on a busy night.
How far is Landers Center from downtown Memphis?
About 17 miles via I-55 South, roughly 20 minutes off-peak. Take Exit 287 (Church Road), turn right, then left onto Venture Drive. From Memphis International Airport (MEM), it's about 14 miles and 15–20 minutes — the airport sits south of downtown, already partway toward Southaven.
On Mid-South Fair opening days and post-concert nights, add meaningful time for Church Road traffic between the exit and the venue entrance.
When should I book for the Mid-South Fair or Blues Festival?
For the Mid-South Fair (October 1–11), book 3–4 weeks out at minimum. Eleven consecutive days of operation across weekday and weekend sessions means the right-size vehicles for Friday and Saturday evenings get claimed early in the fall calendar. For the 23rd Annual Memphis Tri-State Blues Festival (October 17, 2026), that's a sold-out Saturday night in the heart of October, and weekend party bus and charter bus availability around it is limited.
Book by September. For most Hustle weeknight games, two weeks of lead time is workable — but the earlier you call, the more vehicles are still available to compare.
Can a party bus do a multi-stop trip with Landers Center on the itinerary?
Yes. Multi-stop itineraries are straightforward — a dinner stop in Southaven or Germantown before the show, then Landers Center, then back to Memphis. Just note each stop and your timing when you request a quote so the full hours and route are factored into the price from the start.
How do I get a quote for a Landers Center bus rental?
Partybusmemphis.net shows pricing in under a minute through the online form — no account required, no obligation. Enter your date, group size, and pickup location and you'll see vehicle options and pricing from bus companies serving Memphis and the Southaven area. Or call 901-203-3181 any time for a free quote over the phone.
What's the bag policy at Landers Center?
Each guest may bring one clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bag no larger than 12" × 6" × 12" (or a one-gallon clear Ziploc), plus a small clutch no larger than 4½" × 6½". Backpacks, duffel bags, and coolers are prohibited. No outside food or beverages are allowed inside.
Full policy details are on the official Landers Center FAQ.
Are there hotels near Landers Center for out-of-town groups?
The Southaven and Olive Branch area along I-55 has solid hotel coverage close to the venue, and the Landers Center expansion project will add an on-site Hilton Embassy Suites when it completes in summer 2027 — the first convention center in Mississippi with a connected hotel. For out-of-town groups flying into MEM and staying near the arena, a charter bus from the terminal curb to the hotel and then to Landers Center covers the whole run in one booking.
Book Your Landers Center Bus Today
Whether it's a Blues Festival Saturday with 30 people from Midtown, eleven nights of Mid-South Fair runs with a rotating family group, a Hustle home game with the whole office, or a sold-out concert on a weekend when every rideshare on the Southaven side of the state line is taken — a Landers Center charter bus rental from Memphis is the simplest way to get your group there and back together. Partybusmemphis.net makes it easy to compare vehicles and pricing from bus companies serving Memphis and the Southaven area through one quick form. No account needed, pricing in under a minute, call any time.
Check availability for your date at 901-203-3181 or use the online quote tool now. For a broader look at group transportation across the Memphis metro, the Memphis group transportation services page covers multi-stop and recurring itineraries, and the Southaven party bus rental page handles DeSoto County trips of every kind.
