Who could still ignore that the city of Grasse hosted the very first Grasse Perfume Week, while social media amplified the event with resounding impact? By celebrating olfactory cultures from around the world, the cradle of modern perfumery reaffirmed its power to shine, to attract, and to bring people together. With a week of “off-site” programming and three days of exhibitions and trade fair, the event organized by Nez followed naturally in the footsteps of its Parisian counterpart—only this time, with at least one added ingredient: the glorious sunshine that accompanied our 6,000 visitors.
If you were wandering through the streets of the Maralpine city between Thursday and Saturday, you may have come across mysterious graffiti artists who seemed determined to make green the official color of the town. From the Charles Nègre media library to Grasse Campus, from Villa Fragonard to the Palais des Congrès—there wasn’t a single street corner that didn’t display what turned out to be the official signage of the Grasse Perfume Week! And rightly so—it was needed to guide festival-goers from one venue to the next.
A celebration of global olfactory cultures
An emblematic building in Grasse, the Palais des Congrès welcomed nearly 80 exhibitors. A veritable olfactory beehive, it buzzed with voices in English, Chinese, Italian, Korean, and Arabic—truly a reflection of contemporary perfumery. The fair hosted local manufacturers and perfume houses, brought together by Grasse Expertise, as well as 70 fragrance brands spread across two floors—including around ten Chinese brands, brought by the organizer of our partner trade show in China, Notes Shanghai.
At Grasse Campus, a flagship of the region’s educational and academic excellence, visitors were immersed in the sensual world of Parfum d’Empire, the brand created and driven by perfumer Marc-Antoine Corticchiato. This unique experience—centered on fragrance and raw materials—was elevated by a sensory installation designed by Nez, engaging sight, hearing, touch, and of course, smell.
Just a few steps away, an olfactory treasure from Oman awaited: the incense of Wadi Dawkah, a valley listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The exhibition, supported by the brand Amouage, took us deep into the very origins of perfumery—into a 1,500-hectare valley home to nearly 5,000 frankincense trees.
When talking about a campus, one must also talk about education and the transmission of knowledge. What better venue, then, to host our Smell Talks: 26 conferences and roundtables covering a wide range of topics—from the history of perfume in Grasse to the challenges of artificial intelligence, from the links between cocktails and fragrance to training, the Chinese perfume market, sustainability, the role of women in perfumery, and olfactory education. These talks opened up many avenues for exchange and reflection.
Not only for the hundred or so people present in the auditorium, but also for the hundreds more connected online via our website to enjoy the live broadcast! These conferences will soon be available on our platform Podcasts by Nez
The Journey of Incense: From Antiquity to Fine Perfumery
From Scent to Seed, avec Robertet
Many key players in the industry supported the Grasse Perfume Week, first and foremost the Robertet Group, the main partner of the 2025 edition. With 175 years of history, the Grasse-based fragrance house took over the Villa Fragonard for three days—a late 17th-century bastide. Between a perfume organ, portraits of perfumers, and the Olfactory Flower Field, an artwork by artist Dai Dai Tran made of hundreds of blotters, Robertet created an intimate, timeless space entirely dedicated to perfumery.
It was in this same villa that the Grasse Perfume Week was officially launched, in front of nearly 500 guests, who also attended the presentation of the Young Creator Award by the Baudelaire Fund. The mayor of the city, Jérôme Viaud, once again expressed his support for the event, which was first envisioned in his office one day in March 2023, during a meeting with the founders of Nez. A little over two years later—and after two editions of the Paris Perfume Week that helped define and shape a unique approach to perfume-focused events—all the ingredients naturally came together… and the alchemy took place!
An offsite program rich with dozens of events!
Let us also remember that it all began with events at the heart of the city and its surroundings. From the very first day of this festival week, workshops, perfume presentations, factory and field visits, concerts, and exhibitions followed one another. One of the defining features of a Perfume Week is to weave a connection between the venues it activates and the offerings of local players—particularly abundant in Grasse—through a program of free activities offered to residents and visitors from around the world! As in Paris, this program was supported by the Fragrance Foundation France.
An event like no other
In our eyes, this Grasse Perfume Week reaffirms a strong DNA: rich content, cultural exhibitions, careful attention to the brands represented, sobriety and sustainability in the booths with an almost exclusive use of wooden structures, and a free offsite program!
Another key takeaway from this Grasse Perfume Week, as with Paris, is the enthusiasm of the public — both local and visitors from across France, Europe, the United States, the Middle East, Japan, and Latin America. An atmosphere filled with curiosity and friendliness.
A world tour of Perfume Weeks
Our event is also part of a strategy to develop an event activity tailored to the contexts of the places we invest in and the specific challenges of each ecosystem, whether in Paris, Grasse, or soon in Shanghai!
So if you want to follow us to the ends of the earth, join us at the Shanghai Perfume Week from October 16 to 19. It will take place within the Notes Shanghai event, where we will be accompanied by about twenty exhibiting brands meeting one of the most curious and discovery-hungry audiences we have encountered!
Before that, we will meet again at the Bastille Design Center, which already hosted our first two Paris Perfume Weeks, for a new format: the “Paris Shanghai Perfume Show.”
On September 26 and 27, we will bring together and foster dialogue between Chinese and French perfumery, through the presence of about forty exhibitors from both countries, a major exhibition, and two days of conferences dedicated to the Chinese market.
Showcasing the world in Grasse… and Grasse to the world!
We are happy and proud to have offered Grasse an unprecedented event, worthy of its history and its growing attractiveness. For a few days, the city became the stage for an open dialogue between traditions and future visions, between local know-how and inspirations from all over the world.
Thanks to everyone who made this first edition possible. The story of Grasse Perfume Week is only just beginning.
By the numbers
- 6,000 visitors
- 80 exhibitors
- 15 nationalities represented
- 25% international visitors
- 90 offsite events
- 1,000 participants at offsite events
- … and 800 ice creams served
Pictures – Clément Savel
