Outdoormix Festival: sport & music in the Southern Alps

Outdoormix Spring Festival

Serre-Ponçon sways to the rhythm of outdoor sports

Every year in May, the Outdoormix Festival returns with a spring version featuring even more outdoor sports. Lasting four days, the spring festival is staged at various venues around Serre-Ponçon lake: the sumptuous Embrun lake adjacent to the river Durance, between mountains and sparkling waters; La Clapière campsite (also in Embrun); Plage des Eaux Douces, a water sports hotspot in Crots, and Réallon ski resort. On the competition front, the festival showcases 12 disciplines, including wingfoiling, kiting, yoga, longboarding and climbing. What’s more, you don’t need to be an expert to enjoy the fun: visitors of all ages and levels are invited to take part in the free introductory sessions. The festival village features exhibits by around sixty sports brands so there’s really no time to get bored – unless of course you’d rather chill and lap up the scenery on the shores of the lake…

… Music and food!

With its tempting line-up of music and live concerts staged against various stunning backdrops around Embrun lake, the Outdoormix Spring Festival simply gets better every year! Top names in 2023 included French reggae star Naâman, together with Amadou & Mariam, Youthstar & Miscellaneous and Chinese Man…. The concert area opens its doors from 7.30 pm. Good food is resolutely on the menu too, with a variety of food trucks including a 100% vegan offering, plus pizzas, poké bowls, Argentinian barbecues and veggie burgers… You’ll also find tasty cuisine on offer throughout the day, whether you fancy a light snack or the full works!

Outdoormix Winter Festival in Vars

Extreme snow sports…

A must-do meeting for extreme winter sports fans, the Outdoormix Festival (winter edition) bathes in the very-generous sunshine of the Southern Alps. Held every year in late January from Friday through to Sunday, the event lights up the slopes of Vars – the Southern Alps trendiest ski resort -, with over 1,000 riders from 35 countries battling it out in a series of snow kayaking, ski derby, snow MTB, ski skating, freestyle ski, freestyle snowboard and handiski competitions. Beginners get a taste of the action too, with free introductions to various disciplines (Air Bag, splitboarding, airboarding and more) on offer at the events village. Family entertainment includes wooden games, ice sculptures and pétanque on ice – hilarity guaranteed! As all of that is thirsty work, festival-goers will also appreciate the cosy bar nestling in a heated marquee.

…And great sounds

The Outdoormix Festival isn’t just about snow sports – it’s a real must-do for electro, house, drum & bass, trance, pop and rock aficionados too. The evenings start off relaxed-style with a DJ set in the heated marquee on the snow front at 5 pm on the Friday and Saturday, before kicking into gear with a live concert and second DJ set. You’ll find plenty of exciting names in the line-ups, including Joachim Pastor, Darkside Events and La Caravane Passe – a blend of rock and traditional vibes from the Balkans. And it doesn’t stop there: the night continues with an after party at one of the local bars!

How to get there and where to stay?

Outdoormix Winter Festival

The Zou! bus service (line 571) running from Mont-Dauphin railway station takes you all the way to the ski resort of Vars (the trip takes minimum 30 minutes). On Fridays and weekends during school holidays, the Zou! buses also run from Marseille-Provence airport and Aix-en-Provence’s TGV (high-speed train) railway station. If you’re travelling from Paris, Marseille or Aix-en-Provence, you can hop on a Neige Express coach (Autocars Imbert). We recommend booking your accommodation at the resort of Vars-les-Claux. A special car park is available for camper vans.

Outdoormix Spring Festival

You can reach Embrun directly from Marseille by train or bus (3½ hours). If you’re travelling from Montpellier or Lyon, you’ll need to change in Valence (1½ plus 3½ hours). From Grenoble, you’ll need to change in Veynes (2 hours, then 1 hour to Embrun). Car parks are available too. The festival’s official campsite is Camping de La Clapière. The Petit Liou and CNA campsites are also festival partners, as are various hotels in Embrun and lodgings in Réallon. A special area is reserved for converted trucks and vans.