ZEvent is a charity marathon created in 2016 by Adrien Nougaret (ZeratoR) and Alexandre Dachary (Dach). This unique annual event assembles the gaming and entertainment communities to raise money over an entire weekend in aid of a nominated cause. Seven years ago, the Institut Pasteur benefited from an unprecedented outpouring of generosity during ZEvent 2019, when it was chosen as that year's charity. Over the course of 50 hours of streaming, more than €3.5 million was raised on the Twitch platform, a world record at the time (see the newsletter on September 27, 2019).
 

Image

After a decade of challenges, records and entertainment, and millions of euros raised, the ZEvent organizers have decided that this year will be the final edition. They are going out with a bang, putting on the most ambitious and large-scale event ever – and the Institut Pasteur will be part of this unique extravaganza. 

The 2026 edition will take place in Montpellier and it will focus on a huge opening concert at the Sud de France Arena, featuring artists Gims, BigFlo & Oli, Gazo and Orchestre curieux. This glittering musical celebration will kick off an unforgettable weekend that will be open to more participants than ever before (in person and remotely). The money raised during ZEvent 2026 will be shared out among all the causes, charities and institutions supported by Zevent over the decade since 2016 – including the Institut Pasteur. 

This year, the Institut Pasteur and its research on the microbiota will be in the spotlight, particularly the research conducted as part of the new new Integrative Microbiome Program (see the April 3 issue of the newsletter), with money raised during the epic streams going to support this research. For this event, Antoine Bogaerts, Director of Philanthropy, will answer questions from streamers about the institution’s missions, the need for generosity, and the cost of research. On the science side, Cécile Apert - a microbiome expert and a gamer herself - will discuss with participants about this wide-ranging and promising research field. Cécile, a former postdoctoral fellow in the Microenvironment and Immunity Unit led by Gérard Eberl, studied the microbiota in early life to shed light on its impact on the effectiveness of vaccination in adulthood. She is currently a career advisor for scientists within the Career Development Service for Scientists (CARE) of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Department, and is dedicated to providing support and guidance for scientists considering their career paths. This multi-hatted ambassador for science, gaming (her passion at home) and personal development will take the opportunity of the final ZEvent charity marathon to share her expertise with streamers (these pros of live video game streams on Twitch) and participants, explaining how the microbiota plays a role in depression and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, allergies and chronic diseases, as well as in maternal and newborn health. The Twitch community is already gearing up for this final hurrah to ZEvent and preparing to show its support for research and public health!

See the trailer for ZEvent 2026 (in French)

Make sure you keep an eye on the Institut Pasteur's social media for all the latest news about this streaming extravaganza in July and August in the run-up to the big weekend!

Image

And don't miss the first newsletter after the summer on September 4, which will contain all the dedicated links so that you can follow the event live.