WOW25 Festival – World Ocean Week
June 9–13, 2025 | Nice, France
Presented by UNESCO, the Ville de Nice, and Nautilus, with World Sensorium Conservancy as a proud founding partner, the WOW25 Festival (World Ocean Week 2025) will unfold in the historic coastal city of Nice, France, in tandem with the United Nations Ocean Conference.
Set within the verdant expanse of Albert I Park, WOW25 will transform the city’s heart into a dynamic and immersive public forum for ocean advocacy, celebration, and dialogue. From 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. each day, the festival will offer a continuous flow of concerts, live performances, interactive exhibitions, films, panels, public talks, and hands-on workshops, anchored by nightly events in the Théâtre de Verdure amphitheater.
WOW25 is a cultural and scientific convergence—designed to bring the priorities and pressing issues of the UN Ocean Conference into public consciousness through the powerful languages of music, art, and storytelling. The festival seeks to engage all generations, foster meaningful dialogue, and inspire a lasting sense of ocean stewardship.
The ocean is the beating heart of our planet. It sustains biodiversity, regulates the global climate and water cycles, produces much of the oxygen we breathe, absorbs excess greenhouse gases, and shelters the ecosystems upon which countless species—including humans—depend. But today, this vast life-support system is under threat from pollution, overfishing, acidification, and climate change. Safeguarding the ocean is not a choice—it is our shared responsibility.
Invisible but Toxic: The Growing Threat of Synthetic Fragrance Pollution
As part of its contribution to WOW25, World Sensorium Conservancy is spotlighting a critical yet underrecognized environmental hazard: synthetic fragrance pollution.
Found in everything from perfumes and personal care products to household cleaners and air fresheners, synthetic fragrance compounds—including phthalates, synthetic musks, and terpenes, are among the most pervasive and persistent pollutants in our environment. These chemicals are released into the air, water systems, and the ocean, where they resist breakdown, accumulate in living organisms, and interact with other pollutants to form secondary toxins.
Research has shown:
- They disrupt hormonal systems in fish and amphibians.
- They have been linked to respiratory, neurological, and developmental issues in humans and wildlife, including aquatic wildlife.
- They inhibit plant growth and seed germination.
- They contribute to smog and indoor air pollution.
- Even advanced wastewater treatment facilities cannot fully remove them, allowing these compounds to circulate indefinitely through the environment.
A conservative estimate suggests 30 to 65 tons of synthetic fragrance chemicals are released into the global environment each day—an invisible tide of toxicity flowing from our homes, offices, and bodies into the air, soil, rivers, and our stressed ocean.
What Can Be Done?
While the scale of the problem is daunting, the solutions begin with us. By shifting away from synthetic fragrances and embracing healthier, more sustainable practices, we can dramatically reduce the burden of these pollutants:
- Choose fragrance-free or naturally scented products made with full ingredient transparency.
- Avoid synthetic air fresheners and aerosols.
- Support fragrance-free environments in homes, workplaces, schools, and healthcare settings.
- Advocate for stronger environmental regulations on toxic fragrance chemicals.
- Educate others about the environmental and health risks of synthetic fragrances.
This is a global issue, but it has deeply local consequences. Every decision we make, every purchase, every conversation, can help to clear the air, protect our waters, and preserve life on this planet.
At WOW25, stand with World Sensorium Conservancy in shaping a future where clean air, water, and our ocean are not compromised by synthetic fragrance pollution. Together, let’s envision a world where every breath contributes to planetary health.
Be part of the movement—download, print, share, and email these materials to raise awareness and inspire action in your community: