UK Sauna Awards 2026: The Winners
This year was the third annual UK Sauna Awards which took place on 1st June at Sauna Summit 2026.
Sponsored by Harvia, the awards celebrate the very best of British sauna culture including the operators, spaces, and individuals raising the bar for what sauna in the UK can be.
This year saw the introduction of two new categories - Best Affordable Sauna and Best Thermal Experience - reflecting the growing breadth and ambition of the sector. Each category was judged by an independent panel of three, combining British Sauna Society members with external experts, with both a winner and a highly commended awarded across all ten categories.
Here's a look at who took home the honours in 2026.
Best New Sauna
Winners:
Sea Scrub Sauna, Folkestone, England
What the judges had to say:
“The jury loved this operator's ambition and scale - starting out on the sand, progressing to a second site, and now taking on a very large beach spa with next-level hot, cold and food offerings."
Highly Commended:
Hikitalo Cardiff Sauna Village, Cardiff, Wales
Best New Sauna winners Sea Scrub Sauna, Folkestone, on stage at the UK Sauna Awards 2026. Photo by Joe Lang.
Best Design
Winners:
Salt Water Sauna, Boscombe, England
What the judges had to say:
“Built by Finnmark in a former surf shop, it is sympathetically integrated into its surroundings. It has well thought out circulation, with top notch attention to detail and a lovely chill out room.”
Highly Commended:
Lowlu Kentish Town, London, England
Best Design winners Salt Water Sauna, Boscombe, on stage at the UK Sauna Awards 2026. Photo by Joe Lang.
Best Urban Design
Winners:
The Lions’ Den, Norwich, England
What the judges had to say:
“A pillar of the community in town, this sauna has become the new city centre meeting place with clever rooftop saunas in a tight site offering views across the historic city roofscape. It’s to die for…”
Highly Commended:
Community Sauna Baths Walthamstow, London, England
Best Urban Design winners The Lions’ Den, Norwich, on stage at the UK Sauna Awards 2026. Photo by Joe Lang.
Best Wild Sauna
Winners:
Wilder Sauna, Dartmoor, England
What the judges had to say:
“This sauna has beautiful locations around Dartmoor National Park, which are hard to match. Offering circular walks and nature tips alongside sauna and river dips, the sauna offers beautiful immersion in the landscape in a treasured part of the U.K. ”
Highly Commended:
Aberpoeth, Aberystwyth, Wales
Best Wild Sauna winner Wilder Sauna, Dartmoor, on stage at the UK Sauna Awards 2026. Photo by Joe Lang.
Best Community Sauna
Winners:
Steam & Salt Sauna, Tynemouth, England
What the judges had to say:
“The jury panel was astounded by the popularity of this sauna - the public vote shared message after message of how this sauna has touched their lives and how important its owner was in driving that sense of community. Moreover, it was beautiful to see the journey they had taken over the years, from a much-loved tent sauna, to a more permanent sauna. They have led the way for sauna in their region, with the community at the heart of driving the business forward.”
Highly Commended:
Olla Hiki Sauna, Cornwall, England
Best Community Sauna winners Steam & Salt Sauna, Tynemouth, on stage at the UK Sauna Awards 2026. Photo by Joe Lang.
Best Affordable Sauna
Winners:
Iglu Sauna, Huddersfield, England
What the judges had to say:
“This is a new category this year, and it celebrates those saunas who deliver exceptional experiences while managing - through innovative pricing approaches, membership schemes and accessibility schemes - to bring sauna to those who can’t afford it, struggle financially or go all the time and don’t want to be bankrupted. The jury were impressed by the innovative approaches this inaugural winner took to ensure a truly accessible price for those who would most need it, as well as making those with a sauna habit and wanting to go frequently (as we all do) a very easy thing to do.”
Highly Commended:
Heal Saunas, Cambridge, England
Best Affordable Sauna winners Iglu Sauna, Huddersfield, on stage at the UK Sauna Awards 2026. Photo by Joe Lang.
Best Health/Outreach
Winners:
Stanmer Sauna Garden, Brighton, England
What the judges had to say:
“One of the key criteria for this award isn't scale delivered, but the ability to make a real and felt difference to the people within their sauna community, with the resources available to the sauna owners and sauna masters. This winner lives and breathes outreach, health and wellness in everything their sauna does. Whether it's offering heavily subsidised sessions for those who really need it, designing all sauna sessions to be trauma-informed, to making sure they’re at the table with those in the health care space to share how sauna can impact wellbeing, they’ve won because their passion for health and outreach is infused into everything they do with their sauna.”
Highly Commended:
Hue Space, London, England
Best Health/Outreach winners Stanmer Sauna Garden, Brighton, on stage at the UK Sauna Awards 2026. Photo by Joe Lang.
Best Ritual Programme
Winners:
Beach Box Spa, Brighton, England
What the judges had to say:
“Have demonstrated exceptional creativity, quality and commitment in its sauna programming, distinguishing itself through a comprehensive and evolving programme of rituals that reflects both the changing seasons and the diverse expertise of its sauna masters. Rather than offering a fixed schedule, they continually adapt and develop experiences throughout the year, creating rituals that remain fresh, relevant and engaging for their guests. Central to this success is a team of highly skilled sauna masters, trained across a range of ritual styles and traditions, who are empowered to bring their own knowledge, creativity and passion into the sauna. The result is a rich and varied ritual programme that showcases the very best of contemporary sauna culture while delivering memorable experiences time and time again.”
Highly Commended:
Soul Water Sauna, Edinburgh, Scotland
Best Ritual Programme winners Beach Box Spa, Brighton, on stage at the UK Sauna Awards 2026. Photo by Joe Lang.
Best Thermal Experience
Winners:
Galgorm Spa, Ballymena, Northern Ireland
What the judges had to say:
“The Thermal Experience of the Year award is a new addition to the British Sauna Summit Awards, recognising excellence across the entire guest journey. This category celebrates venues that bring together exceptional thermal bathing experiences with a strong sense of place, authenticity and wellbeing. It looks beyond individual facilities to consider how every element contributes to a cohesive and memorable experience—from arrival to departure, from hot to cold, and from environment to atmosphere. This year's winner stood out for creating a thermal experience that is both deeply rooted in its surroundings and thoughtfully designed to promote wellbeing, offering guests an experience that feels authentic, immersive and complete. Their commitment to quality at every touchpoint has established a benchmark for what a truly outstanding thermal experience can be. ”
Highly Commended:
The Bath House, London, England
Best Thermal Experience Highly Commended The Bath House, London, on stage at the UK Sauna Awards 2026. Photo by Joe Lang.
Sauna Master of the Year
Winners:
Dan Lawson
What the judges had to say:
“The Sauna Master of the Year award recognises an individual whose impact reaches far beyond their own sauna. This year's recipient has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the growth and development of sauna culture in Britain, not only through their own practice and enterprise, but through their dedication to the wider community. They have actively championed the values of sauna, created opportunities for emerging sauna masters to learn and develop their craft, and opened doors for others to gain experience and confidence within the industry. Through the organisation of local events, support for community initiatives, and a consistent willingness to share knowledge and expertise, they have helped strengthen and expand the British sauna movement. In a category that celebrates leadership, contribution and service to the community, this year's winner has set a remarkable example.”
Highly Commended:
Sian Hurrell
Sauna Master of the Year 2026 Dan Lawson on stage at the UK Sauna Awards 2026. Photo by Joe Lang.
Huge congratulations to all of this year's winners and highly commended. A heartfelt thank you to our sponsor Harvia, to every judge who gave their time and expertise, and to everyone who submitted an entry to vote.
Congratulations to all and thank you for making British Sauna culture something worth celebrating.
