Event-triggered control (ETC) is a sampling strategy that updates the control value only when some events related to the state of the system occurs. It therefore relaxes the periodicity of control updates without deteriorating the closed-loop performance. This paper develops a nonlinear ETC for the stabilization of a (3,0) mobile robot. The construction of an event function and a feedback function is carried out based on the existence of a stabilizing control law and a Control Lyapunov Function (CLF). The event function is dependent on the time derivative of the CLF and the feedback function results from the extension of Sontag's formula, which ensures asymptotic stability, smoothness everywhere and continuity at the equilibrium. Experimental results, compared with a computed torque control, validate the theoretical analysis. •Nonlinear event-triggered feedback (ETC) for mobile robot stabilization is proposed.•The asymptotic stability of the event-triggered closed-loop system is ensured.•ETC reduces control function calls without deteriorating the closed-loop performance.•The ETC is experimentally applied to the stabilization of a (3,0) robot mobile.