Alsace Vanlife Festival

The Grand Est celebrates vanlife culture

Born in 2025 from the shared passion of the Salons Made in Alsace team and the traveler couple Les Manalas, the Alsace Vanlife Festival is the first major event dedicated to itinerant travel in northeastern France. Held at the Autodrome of the National Automobile Museum in Mulhouse — an iconic setting for a vehicle-focused festival — it brings together a growing community of vanlifers, motorhome enthusiasts, and travelers seeking freedom and adventure on the road for three days.

A village of converted vehicles

The heart of the festival is its impressive exhibition of converted vehicles: vans, motorhomes, converted buses, and expedition trucks transformed into true mobile homes. Visitors can step inside, discover the interior layouts, and chat directly with owners about their technical choices and travel stories. A vanlifer village allows travelers to share their experiences, itineraries, and practical tips in a warm and communal atmosphere. Specialized exhibitors showcase the latest innovations in nomadic equipment: solar panels, batteries, water solutions, modular furniture, and outdoor accessories.

Conferences, workshops, and meetups

The Alsace Vanlife Festival is not just about vehicle exhibitions. A rich program of conferences allows attendees to meet inspiring travelers who share their adventures around the world. Practical workshops — basket weaving, fire starting, Swiss Army knife use — introduce participants to the skills of nomadic life. Quizzes, participatory games, and giant wooden games complete the entertainment offerings, while professionals in vehicle conversion and rental offer their services and personalized advice.

Nomadic gastronomy and musical evenings

The festival's food truck area offers a culinary world tour with flavors from various horizons, in the spirit of travel that drives the vanlife community. In the evening, live concerts take over from 4 PM, transforming the Autodrome into an open-air music stage where festival-goers enjoy a friendly atmosphere under the stars. The bivouac area, set up in partnership with Roadsurfer Spot, allows participants to park their van or motorhome on-site and experience the event as true nomads, extending the festival experience until the early morning.

The Autodrome, a prestigious automotive setting

The choice of the Autodrome of the National Automobile Museum as the festival venue is no accident. This car circuit, located near the world's largest car collection — the Schlumpf Collection — offers a vast and suitable space to accommodate vehicles and festival-goers. Holders of a museum entrance ticket benefit from free access to the festival, creating a natural bridge between historical automotive passion and contemporary road travel culture.