WORLD MASK WEEK
May 25 - 31, 2026
Big love to all who took part!

Follow the COVID-informed DJs from World Mask Week Twitch Virtual Dance Marathon!

Monday, May 25, 2026
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12-hours of COVID-informed DJ sets via Twitch!

11:00 AM EST - 11:00 PM EST 
10:00 AM CST - 10:00PM CST
​8:00 AM PST - 8:00 PM PST


Fully virtual offering to kick off World Mask Week

Follow @MaskWeekMarathon on Instagram.

Also follow + support all of the DJs who did an AMAZING job, and thank them for prioritizing community care while providing spaces for us to shake it!


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What was World Mask Week?



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At its simplest, Mask Week asked folks to commit to masking up for collective health for 1 week.



Bigger picture, Mask Weeks is are many things: a path to tap back in if you've fallen off, an invitation to co-ideate with folks inside or outside your region, a tangible solidarity action, a vessel to meet like-minded folks, a way to truly embody intersectional values, & so much more. 


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It can (and should!) look different place to place, but our intentions are rooted in deepening our practices of community care. 



Previous lore at Celebrate845.com/MaskWeek



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Build & archive your findings at #MaskWeek2026 & #WorldMaskWeek


Note: this was an extremely grassroots effort that encouraged autonomy from place to place and from person to person. We are super open to helping bring ideas to life, collaborations, etc. but you do not need our permission to do your thing. Interpret freely! And also a loving reminder to please be gentle with feedback, as we are regular people learning as we go who are not compensated for this labor. There are no "organizers" because everyone can be one. More nuance notes at the bottom of this page!

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How will 1 week help?

Click each image to read its contents!

​Summary: if folks masked just a little more often, we'd be in WAY better shape than we are now (& "better" meaning like "~1,580,000 fewer cases of COVID per day" better...) 1580000158000


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Who is Mask Week for?
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  • Folks looking to opt back into masking up more often


  • Folks who are “still COVIDing” or trying to avoid airborne illnesses like flu, RSV, measles, etc.
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  • Folks needing accessible PPE including masks, rapid tests, and other resources
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  • Folks wanting to fight things like fascism, mask bans, and oppression towards Indigenous, Black, 2SLGBTQIA+, disabled, houseless, elder, youth & other marginalized beloveds


    Tell us who YOU think WMW is for!


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Roles
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There were so many different avenues to tap into this effort. This list is not exhaustive but is for community members, supporters, artists, writers, dreamers, parents, teachers, organizers, healthcare providers, mask blocs, and anyone interested in being a part. You know the landscape where you live and we trust you to accommodate, adjust, and fine-tune as needed, as Mask Week will and should look different from place to place. Make it your own!



Here are some possible ways to tap into or steward World Mask Week:


  • Mask up for the week: for folks who don’t always mask but are looking to tap back in in solidarity. You don't have to do this "perfectly", but we'd be so so thrilled if you participated as many days as possible. Literal harm reduction in real time, as masks are a proven tool to stop spreads. A great place to start is Masking Up at "The Big 3": stores, at appointments, and on all public transit.


  • Amplifier or Designer: help get the word out! On social media, through in person flyering outside where you live, by talking about it wherever you find yourself, helping with press and writing PR, designing promo materials. Get creative! We're open to new ways of spreading the word.


  • Event Holder: wanna host an event during Mask Week? Do it! Events should of course be accessible, hybrid, and/or have precautions in place.
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  • Free PPE Hub: if you have a space, venue, etc. and are willing to hold free PPE for folks to snag leading up to Mask Week, that’d be helpful!


  • PPE Distro: don’t underestimate the power behind doing distro! Whether it's a one off or building something consistent, moving the tools feels great and stays important. And not just at places who already have the goods! How can we get PPE into impacted hands and in places that may not have access?


  • Meeting Facilitator or Attender: a really special part of Mask Week is the comradery building! Hold meetings leading up to Mask Week for people in your region to attend, connect through, and have space to ideate within is a great way to build community.


  • Translator: ensuring that materials are offered in multiple languages is important af.

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  • Dreamer: have thoughts that aren’t listed here? Do it! Try it! Ask for help if needed!
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Sharables
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Feel free to download, print, hang, share, post, do all of the things.

If you'd like any editable templates or to submit your own work to this archive, contact us here.
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Our post-World Mask Week 2026 reflection: first: if you participated in any form - THANK YOU. Maybe you masked up more than usual. Maybe you hung a flyer or told a friend. Maybe you made art, made a resource available, gave away masks, etc. All forms of participation made this offering what it was & we're wildly heartened. To see how folks tapped in worldwide, click #WorldMaskWeek #MaskWeek2026 

If you're someone who fell off with masking: this is a continued call-in to up your practice. Even just a little. Some masking is better than zero masking & every chain of illness transmission that we break is a win, so let's get it. Masks help you maybe not get sick & help others do the same. With the perpetual Everything Going On in the world, your wellness matters. A lot. Cherish & protect it. If it feels hard, let's talk. If you need masks, get free ones at MaskBloc.org. #MaskUpAtTheBig3 if you need a place to start. HUGE love to those who have shared how this approach has helped you #MaskMore - we see you.

If the Week brought out rage, grief, etc: we see you too. If you have a different vision, DO IT. Try things out. You truly never know (like who tf are we to do a global thing - & yet!). We are a lil' grassroots crew, holding as many perspectives as we can, & trying our best to synthesize them into offerings that might reach the public + make lasting impacts. Here to support, collab, & help anytime.

For future Mask Weeks: ever reminder that NO PERMISSION IS NEEDED. Step into your power & autonomy! Anyone can harken a Mask Week at any time. No one owns it & it existed before this. The only thing we "own" is the MaskWeek.com site, but def down to give it up if anyone wants to use it. Again, we're here to help or collab, but don't wait on us. Dream big!

We don't know when the next Mask Week will be but will likely steward another. This version centered calling folks back into masking & getting masks to people who don't have consistent access. Other versions can & should exist. We'd love to see it all.

Too much to fit, so just saying thanks again. Love to anyone caring & trying & doing. Our drops in the bucket add up. Ever care.




A note about Mask Weeks "not being enough": we hear you. And honestly, in a lot of ways, we are with you. We at Celebrate845 mask abundantly, are fully aware that folks masking for 1 week alone is not enough to eradicate COVID, and know that our most impacted beloveds deserve more than this - year round. But we also deeply believe that Mask Weeks and the education that come with them are a successful on-ramp for folks looking to find their way back to masking. We know they can be an avenue to build lasting community among folks who care "full time" and we have proof of all of this from previous efforts. If you are someone who truly cannot mask, we are not asking you to mask and hope you can discern. It is unfortunate that U.S. and global propaganda have pushed average people to believe that illness prevention and public health are not to be prioritized and that both are individual decisions instead of collective ones, and so we offer Mask Weeks as attempts to reach people - people who are "still COVIDing" (or however they choose to identify), and also people of consciousness who are open to the idea of tapping back in. Masking is concrete community care. We believe that a majority of people genuinely don't recognize the impacts of COVID or Long COVID but, if given a combination of information, comradery, and accessible tools, would mask more. Over time, we hope that this 1 week of practice leads to lifestyle change. If you're not interested in Mask Week efforts, that's okay. But if you are, we appreciate you and are here to work together. We honor all rage, grief, nuance, and struggle. And: we are here for the people who may have fallen off with masking due to global propaganda but are willing to find their way back when given resources and support. No one is saying 1 week is enough. No one is saying to only Mask Up at The Big 3. This campaign is for people who are (re)discovering all of this and need support. If you have a different vision around this campaign or a separate one, we are here to work together or to support your work. All drops in the bucket will hopefully help dismantle ableism worldwide.




Why there is no separate "World Mask Week" website, email, etc: we are not - nor do we wish to be - the sole owners of any "Mask Week". Anyone and everyone should be able to harken folks into a Mask Week anytime, anywhere. If there were a central website, that would mean that 1 person (or group, etc) would own that website, and then others would need to ask for permission to use it for future efforts. We recognize that hosting this very webpage on our own site can make it look like WMW is "our thing", but Mask Weeks existed way before this. There were MW's in 2020 and beyond. We do not want to be the sole owners of what should be such a decentralized and ongoing effort. We empower all people to dream big and put out the word for WMW any time they choose to. We are happy to share our insights if helpful.
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