5 takeaways from Sauna Summit 2025
Next to London’s biggest water source, the River Thames, over 300 people gathered to connect and celebrate their mutual love of all things sauna. Not many people swim in the Thames anymore but it has a rich history of luring bathers to its shores. It’s safe to say we were in the right spot for the Sauna Summit.
Rivers are having a big press moment this year. With the release of Robert Macfarlane’s new book and the March for Clean Water earlier this year, we’re left wondering ‘Is a river alive?’ The state of UK rivers reflects our relationships – to ourselves, to others, to landscape. Sauna is a place where we remember how to be in relationship and connection. When we are connected to something, we care for it, and it’s less likely to fall into a sorry state.
The British Sauna Society’s 2nd Sauna summit brought together attendees from across the British Isles and Ireland and even a few attendees from Finland, Romania, Norway, Netherlands, Japan, Belgium, Denmark, Czech Republic, and Germany. Held in London at the Hilton Canary Wharf, Arc Community, and Pergola on the Wharf, the best sauna owners, operators, and ritual practitioners gathered together for the British Sauna Society’s annual event of inspiration, learning, and connection, underpinned by ritual, connection, and community. The Summit welcomed around 40 speakers and over 20 sponsors.
The day kicked off with a welcome from the Finnish Ambassador Mr Jukka Siukosaari who reminded us that, in the sauna, “nothing is forced (...) the only rule in the sauna is that you do what you feel good to be doing.”
The CEO of Sauna From Finland, Carita Harju, then debunked some Finnish sauna myths such as ‘You must stay in the sauna for a fixed time’, further hammering home the advice of the Finnish Ambassador. We’re reminded of the simple wisdom that the best sauna sessions last as long as they feel good.
Dr Emilia Vuorisalmi, author of The Healing Power of Hormones, shared her own story with sauna, asserting that sauna is a place that we stop and ask ourselves critical questions of introspection.
Our panelists delved into how sauna is shaping our community, the safer way to sweat and plunge, the history of Britain and Ireland’s sweat culture, how sauna can become more accessible, as well as exploring the holy trinity: fire, ice, and Löyly. Challenges discussed included what spaces people need in communities, what guidance people really need in the sauna, and the importance of being aware of the physiological impact of sauna.
Professor Sam Oliver, a researcher from Bangor University joined us, along with Dr Caroline Coch from Sawna Bach, to discuss the research being carried out to study the benefits of sauna and contribute to health understanding in the UK. Dr Geoff Coombs, Lecturer in Sport & Exercise Science and Professor in Sport & Exercise Science Sam Oliver, will be working with Sawna Bach owners, Dr Caroline Coch, Jen Holloway and Alex Zalewski to monitor how people use the sauna. They will be trying to collect evidence, aiming to answer questions that have puzzled users for a long time; how long should they spend in the sauna, best temperature, and should they jump in cold water or sea after using the sauna? Currently, there is little guidance to best practice in the sauna in comparison to other healthy behaviours like exercise where we have a good understanding of required frequency, intensity, type, and time of activity. This collaboration won them the ‘Best Health Programme’ award.
Dr Newson’s talk on ‘The power of ritual’ explored how ancient practices meet modern science. Newson described sauna as “cross[ing] into the terrain of the sacred”, as an exploration of in-between places. She reminds us that humans evolved in community. In fact, “our ancestors’ depended on it.” The lack of it–the lack of belonging and the prevalence of loneliness–is the biggest contributor to early mortality. That’s above lack of exercise, alcohol consumption, even smoking. With her words “extreme experiences bond us together—often powerfully,” we pose the question for our community ‘how do you cultivate ritual in sauna?’. We evolved in community so the lack of it–the lack of belonging and the prevalence of lonliness–is the biggest contributor to early mortality. That’s above lack of exercise, alcohol consumption, even smoking.
Before presenting the Sauna Summit Awards, the talks of the day wrapped up with a conversation between Jake Newport and Emma O’Kelly on the UK sauna scene where Emma discussed the findings behind her latest book ‘Wild Sauna: The Best Outdoor Sweats and Cold Dips in Britain’. Winners of this year’s Summit Awards include Wyld Sauna, Fix MCR, The Wild Sauna, Hikitalo, Nomadic, Sawna Bach, Community Sauna Baths, Saltwater - Lulworth Cove, and Nick Tettersell.
We then moved over to Pergola on the Wharf and Arc Community where the sauna was available for use throughout the evening, and food and drinks were provided. It was a wonderful day of ritual, connection, and community. We are very grateful for all our attendees, staff, speakers, sponsors, partners, volunteers, and friends! Without your energy, passion, and support, none of this would have been possible.
All sessions were recorded and will be available for our members at a later date. Join us as a member to be notified when they’re available: https://www.britishsaunasociety.org.uk/membership-choose-your-plan. Keep an eye out for business memberships coming soon.
Here are 5 things we’re taking with us from Sauna Summit 2025 – insights, challenges, and inspiration for the future of sauna culture.
1. The UK has its own path to carve
The UK sauna movement has learnt so much from other big bathing nations – Finland, Lithuania, Germany – that it can feel like we're just following in their footsteps. But our infancy also allows us to take a more modern look at bathing culture. It feels like we're pushing for progression whilst dissecting the status quo. So, in some ways, as much as we're followers, we're also finding ways to be leaders too.
2. This isn’t just a fad – it’s an emerging industry
It was incredible to see all of our sponsors, many of whom began in the UK. If UK sauna was just a flash in the pan, you might expect for it to go no further than a collection of enthusiasts. However, almost every business we spoke to was doing incredibly well.
3. Immense pride
The BSS has undergone huge changes since the first Sauna Summit back in 2024 so it was exciting to see what kind of scale we're now operating on. The Summit showed just how much talent, motivation, and love there is for UK sauna. It’s moving at such an incredible pace with some seriously-exciting things in the pipeline for the coming year. We are proud to be able to bring together the energy and passion of sauna owners from across the British Isles and Ireland, and to give people deeply nourishing spaces to belong.
4. There are no rules in the sauna, but there is guidance
As Jukka, the Finnish Ambassador, shared on stage to commence the start of the Sauna Summit 2025, “the only rule in the sauna is that you do what you feel good to be doing.” The invitation to create your own rules – to follow your own intuition – opens up space for introspection. However, we believe it is important for there to be advice and guidance for those new and inexperienced to sauna.
5. The 3 pillars that sustain bathing culture: physical, social, and spiritual
Sauna is a place where people can connect with themselves, each other, and the landscapes around them–whether urban, rural, or wild. It is an opportunity to get out of our minds and into our bodies. As Zak Avery from &SoulCommunity confirms, there is a “deep yearning for community spaces that are nourishing”. These 3 pillars have and will continue to sustain bathing culture.
This unforgettable event was made possible by our headline sponsor Finnmark. Additionally, we are grateful for our supporting sponsors Periode, Heartwood Saunas, Harvia, Thermory Design, Narvi, Saas Instruments, Huum Sauna, Wild Hut Saunas, Repowr, Visit Tampere, Tulikivi, Porta Sauna, Jarvi, Arc Community, Urban Ice Tribe, Standwood, and Blythin & Brown Insurance Brokers.
In the past few years, sauna culture has seen explosive growth in the British Isles. Britain and Ireland are home to over 200 saunas accessible to the public. Most of them have grown as part of a new moment – centred around healthy lifestyle, community and nature connection. The media have taken an unprecedented interest in the rise of sauna, with most major outlets including the BBC, The Times, The Guardian, The Economist and many more running extensive features in the past year. Vocations like Sauna Master, Sauna Operator and Sauna Builder have emerged as real options for self-actualisation and making a living. The sauna movement needs its own professional event, a gathering where we can upgrade our understanding, find solutions to shared challenges and make connections with each other. This is an event for those who push the sauna movement forward – created and organised by people within the movement, who live and breathe sauna and want to share its joys and benefits with others.
What did you take away from this year’s Sauna Summit? Let us know in an email to hello@britishsaunasociety.org.uk. We’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback.
