ADAC Eifel Rally Festival: The countdown is now on

• The global rally family reunion is getting into the starting blocks
• Festival kicks off with ‘Daun Town Day’ on Thursday·
• Wanted! The best photograph taken by a fan
  
  

Preparations are in full swing for the Eifel Rallye Festival (July 23rd to 25th, 2026) to be held around Daun in the Vulkaneifel. The fifteen-strong organising team behind this global gathering of the rally family is about to be joined by many more supporters as at least eight hundred volunteers will be hard at work over the Festival weekend. Many threads come together with Otmar Anschütz as the head of the event organisation as well as being the chairman of MSC Daun. “These volunteers are actually our biggest sponsors as well. If we had to pay for their work, the Festival would be unaffordable.”

Once again, a unique line-up awaits international fans at what is now the fourteenth Festival. Over one hundred and sixty rally cars spanning more than sixty years of rally history – all either originals or faithful replicas – will be on display and in action on the demonstration roads around Daun. This thus forms the largest moving rally museum. The highlights will undoubtedly include the parade to mark the eightieth birthday of World Rally Champion, Stig Blomqvist, and the first-ever gathering of all the ‘big players’ from the history of the legendary Group B.

Kick-off at ‘Daun Town Day’ on Thursday

On Thursday, ‘Daun-Town-Day’ will attract the first fans as early as 6.00 am with the opening of the service park in the Rally Mile. The official programme for the day runs from 2.30 pm to 7.00 pm. After the public scrutineering, the teams and, above all, the cars will be presented individually on the starting ramp. The autograph session with all the stars, presented by www.sparkmodelshop.com, begins at 6.30 pm on the Festival stage. Afterwards, from 8.30 pm, the now legendary welcome evening will also take place there. As always, the entertaining interviews with the stars will be complemented by relevant film footage from cult filmmaker, Helmut Deimel.

The active ‘demonstration sections’ on the challenging roads and tracks in the Vulkaneifel begins on Friday at 09:00 and doesn’t finish until late on Saturday afternoon. In between, the Rally Mile offers regular opportunities for fans to get up close to the cars and to meet the teams behind them.

Otmar Anschütz says: “To round off this international festival, we will be hosting an open-air rock party on the stage at Laurentiusplatz on Saturday from 8.00 pm, this will feature HSG Pure Rock, an eight-piece live band. Everyone from Daun and the surrounding area are warmly invited to join us for this.”

Wanted: The best fan photo from the 2026 Eifel Rallye Festival

Every year, the fan photo competition brings a wide variety of fascinating images to light. Whether it’s action on the track, special details in the paddock, emotional moments at the trackside or unusual angles – we’re looking for photos that capture the Festival’s unique character.

Under the guidance of iconic photographer Reinhard (Mc)Klein, prizes will be awarded for the best shots. The result is a vivid look back at the Festival weekend – captured from the perspectives of those who were there in person. And the best part is that the winners stand to receive valuable prizes. All the information concerning the competition and its terms and conditions can be found here:

https://eifel-rallye-festival.de/fotowettbewerb/

The Eifel Rallye Festival – Schedule

Thursday, July 23rd, 2026 (all events in the Rally Mile, central Daun)

From 2.30 pm          Public scrutineering with presentation of the cars

From 6.30 pm          Autograph session

From 8.30 pm          Welcome evening

                             Open-air rally cinema with cult filmmaker, Helmut Deimel

Friday, July 24th, 2026

From 9:38 am          Kelberger Land 1

From 1:46 pm          Kelberger Land 2 followed by Hochkelberg 1

From 6:12 pm          Hochkelberg 2, run partly in the dark.

Saturday, July 25th, 2026

9:00 am – 4:00 pm   Stages in the Vulkaneifel

                             In between the stages, you can visit the Rally Mile in Daun

                             where there are lots of attractions !

From 7:30 pm          Rally party in the Rally Mile….