This September, Dr Kath Jones (Founder, Wild-Ness Health & NHS GP) and Polly Wilson (Social Prescribing and Outreach Manager, Community Sauna Baths) represented the UK sauna-for-health movement at the 2025 Annual Medical Conference of the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine (BSLM) in Brighton. They presented From Clinic to Sauna: Fostering Synergy for Whole Person Care, introducing GPs, health professionals, and conference delegates to the idea that sauna use can play a meaningful role in integrative, whole-person care.

The British Sauna Society is delighted to announce that the UK will be joining the Sauna Herbal Cup for the very first time in 2026, sending a national team to compete on the world stage. This unique international competition celebrates the art of herbal sauna rituals and peeling procedures, showcasing creativity, tradition, and innovation from sauna masters across Europe and beyond.

Emma O’Kelly talks to Katja Pantzar, author of Helskini by Sauna, about her favourite places to soak up the sauna scene in Finland’s capital.

The British Sauna Society is officially launching the search for a host venue for the UK Show Aufguss Championships 2026.

Is it a miracle machine? A weight-loss trick? A cardiovascular threat? The internet has opinions. But behind the vapour is something simpler and deeper: a space for warmth, rest, and ritual. A space where myth often overshadows truth.

Sweat bathing is an ancient practice with deep roots. There are many living traditions, some of which are recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. Britain, too, has its own bathing past: quiet, fragmented, often forgotten. But today, a vibrant new culture is emerging. And as with all cultural movements, to understand where we’re going, we first look to where we’ve been.

Now in its 3rd year, the 2025 UK Aufguss Championships saw the spectacle of sauna theatre performed against a backdrop of skyscrapers in Canary Wharf, London.

Our second Sauna Summit brought together 350 attendees from across the British Isles and Ireland, and even a fair few from Belgium, Denmark, Czech Republic, Germany, Finland, Romania, Norway, Netherlands, Japan and the USA. 

As part of our commitment to representation and transparency, we decided to elect a council that would be able to represent different interests in the UK sauna community. Our former board of trustees provides continuity, as well as new members who will provide fresh input and help us to keep pushing to achieve our stated aims. Today, we’re excited to introduce them to you.

We’re delighted to announce that the British Sauna Society will be collaborating with Dr Martha Newson and the University of Greenwich at the UK Aufguss Championships in Canary Wharf, London, 18-20 May, to explore how sauna culture contributes to wellbeing, particularly through ritual, shared experiences and identities.

It’s that time of year again - we’ve just opened up nominations for this year’s Sauna Summit Awards. Voting is open to the public, who can put forward the saunas in the UK that are raising the bar on authentic sauna experiences.

The British Sauna Society has taken the next step in its evolution, and incorporated as a social enterprise. Working with Patrick Andrews, the Barefoot Lawyer, its new organisational structure prioritises equality and transparency.

Tickets have just gone on sale for the 3rd UK Aufguss Championships which sees the country’s top sauna masters compete in a showcase of skill, performance, and heat. Taking place at Arc Canary Wharf on 18-19 May 2024, champions from the single and team categories will go on to represent the UK at the Aufguss WM Finals in Italy this September.

On Monday 20th May, the British Sauna Society hosted its first Sauna Summit, attracting some 250 delegates from all over the UK and Ireland, the US, Norway and Finland.

Nearly 30 saunas across the UK are offering NHS staff and link workers free sauna sessions in March and April 2024.

British Sauna Society believes this innovative remnant of modular post-war timber construction, donated by the Finnish Olympic team, is the oldest surviving purpose-built sauna in the UK and the earliest surviving Olympic sauna in the world.