The International Minute of Scents 2026

The International Minute of Scents
The International Minute of Scents

The International Minute of Scents returns for its 3rd edition!

Since 2024, The International Minute of Scents, initiated by Atmo Normandie, has invited everyone in France and around the world, on June 10 at 10:06 a.m., to breathe, feel, and describe the smell of the moment. This sensory and poetic experience aims to reconnect people with the olfactory world from a new perspective. It is based on an idea by writer Mathieu Simonet.

How to participate? It’s very simple!

  • 1. On June 10 at 10:06 a.m., go outside and let your nose explore the world !
  • 2. As soon as you notice a scent, let it immerse you.
  • 3. Describe your impressions on a card or a blank sheet (10 × 15 cm): sensations, emotions, memories.
  • 4. On the back of the card, write your first name, your age, and the place of observation.
  • 5. Send it to: Atmo Normandie 3 place de la Pomme d’Or 76000 Rouen, France

I would like to be / I am…

Curious to discover the scent around you? Wherever you are in the world, take part in the International Minute of Scents and share your impressions.

You can also:

  • 📢 Talk about it around you : to your relatives, colleagues, neighbors, or on your social media
  • 🤝 Mobilize your network : organize The Minute within your company, association, family, or among friends.

Do you represent a company, local authority, association, or organization? Become an official ambassador of The International Minute of Scents.
By joining this initiative, you help bring the sense of smell back into focus, raise awareness about issues related to odors, and create a collective and sensory experience for your colleagues or audiences.

As an ambassador, three levels of involvement are possible:

  • 📢 Promote the event through your communication channels and/or network
  • ✔ On the day : encourage and support your teams/audiences to participate
  • 🎯 Use The Minute to collaborate with other partners (activities, workshops, talks, awareness campaigns, events, etc.)

Register as an ambassador of The International Minute of Scents and be officially listed by Atmo Normandie. ⬇️

I want to be an ambassador

Do you supervise a group or a class? Take advantage of The International Minute of Scents to encourage everyone to explore their olfactory environment and share their impressions.

Several actions are possible :

  • ✔ On the day : participate with your group and send your cards
  • 📢 Talk about the event around you : to relatives, colleagues, neighbors
  • 📚 Integrate the initiative into a teaching project
  • 🎨 Showcase students’ work : organize a presentation within the school, create posters or awareness materials, etc.

 

Get the flyer and the protocol for a group or a class.

Flyer_Mio26_eng.pdf
Bannière Site web (800*550px)
pdf - 24 avril 2026 - 121.22 KB
Flyer of The International Minute of Scents 2026
bouton d'actions
Protocole_Mio26_eng.pdf
Bannière Site web (800*550px)
pdf - 24 avril 2026 - 134.16 KB
Protocol of The International Minute of Scents 2026
bouton d'actions

The theme for 2026

After addressing smell education in schools (2024) and the diagnosis of anosmia in children (2025), the 2026 edition will highlight a new major theme: olfactory heritage.
Just as we have a genetic heritage, we also share an olfactory heritage. Thanks to the meeting with the association anosmie.org during the 2nd edition of the International Minute of Scents, we became aware that being deprived of the sense of smell means being deprived of an essential part of our world.
On an individual level, everyone retains memories of smells linked to their personal experiences. Have you ever thought about which smells you would miss if they disappeared? What smell brings you back to your childhood?
Collectively, it is also about reflecting on our shared olfactory experiences-those that connect us to a place, a culture, a time, or a way of life. Olfactory heritage also extends to the living world: for example, the scents of flowers play an essential role in pollination.
All these smells deserve our attention. They call for a collective discussion on how to identify, transmit, and perhaps preserve them.
It is in this context that the 2026 major theme will be dedicated to olfactory heritage.

Marc-André Selosse, patron of the 3rd edition

Crédit photo : ©Biogée
Photo de Marc-André Selosse ©Biogée

 

Marc-André Selosse is a biologist, professor at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, president of the Biogée Federation, and a recognized specialist in botany, mycology, and ecology-particularly known for his work on symbiotic relationships between plants and fungi. He is also a member of the French Academy of Agriculture and the Institut Universitaire de France.
Alongside his scientific work, he is highly involved in science communication, giving lectures and publishing books for the general public to raise awareness about the richness and complexity of nature. He frequently highlights the importance of the sense of smell in the life sciences.
His sensitive and committed perspective on the living world resonates with the spirit of The Minute and makes him a particularly inspiring patron for this 3rd edition.

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Page updated on April 24, 2026.