Behind Summerhall arts centre lies the Edinburgh Fringe's most unconventional venue: a purpose-built sauna theatre where audiences in swimwear experience performances in temperatures reaching 90°C (194°F). The 80-seat venue, which launched as the UK's first sauna arts centre on 1 May 2026, has drawn enthusiastic crowds throughout the festival with an innovative blend of theatre, music, storytelling and sauna rituals.
The venue, presented by Sauna Sessions Arts Club, a new company from director James Grieve and designer Lucy Osborne, occupies the rear courtyard space where Roundabout previously operated. While some visitors might assume the sauna concept is purely theatrical gimmickry—particularly at a festival known for absurd and experimental performances—the reality reflects a serious artistic vision rooted in global sauna traditions.
What makes this a genuine art form rather than a novelty?
The founders have grounded their concept in extensive research into sauna culture worldwide.
"We've done a lot of research over the last few years and art and culture in saunas proliferates the world over,"Grieve explained.
"There's a great tradition of storytelling, of folk music, in saunas."
Central to the programming is aufguss, a traditional sauna performance art form in which a sauna master infuses ice and water with essential oils, places the mixture on the stove, and circulates the fragrant steam through choreographed towel-waving while accompanied by music, storytelling, costume, lighting and sound effects.
"That's basically a show in a sauna,"Grieve said.
Deborah Carr, the venue's head and a professional sauna master trainer, contextualised the UK's entry into this space:
"In the UK, this is the first sauna theatre, but we see them around the world – from Japan to Germany to Italy, [where] there is a sauna theatre that holds 320 people."She added that
"this is just emerging in the UK and seeing this here for the first time is really exciting, because it then plants a seed and it starts us growing."
Sauna-theatre traditions have established themselves internationally, with venues operating across multiple continents and offering audiences a fusion of wellness and performance that remains largely unfamiliar in Britain.
How is the physical space designed to support performance?
The venue features three tiers of wooden seating arranged around three stoves capable of heating the air to 90°C. Professional-quality stage lighting illuminates the performance area, while a slightly cooler sound booth manages the technical elements. The design prioritises both artistic presentation and audience comfort, with built-in breaks allowing spectators to leave at any point—and the more adventurous can use the cold plunge pool.
Practical facilities including showers, mirrors and hairdryers enable visitors to continue their day after performances. Shows are structured to accommodate the physical demands of the environment, though audience members retain complete freedom to exit whenever they choose.
What performances are being staged?
The programming ranges from morning raves to storytelling, theatre and music events. The venue runs daily from 6–31 August 2026, except 18 and 25 August, from 9am to 11pm, hosting shows including Morning Sauna Rave, Mysteries of the Picts and Bubble Schmeisis (Remixed).
Mysteries of the Picts, performed at noon daily, features aufguss from two sauna masters performed to traditional folk music while actors narrate the story of ancient sweat houses believed to have served as community spaces for Celtic tribes during the late Roman period.
One particularly successful adaptation has been Virginia Woolf's The Waves. Grieve described how the performance works within the sauna environment:
"Virginia Woolf talks a lot about heat and light and water. The aufguss masters perform rituals to that text and really help people feel like they're inside the language, like they are feeling and sensing the language on their skin, through their nose, as well as listening to the actors perform it."This multisensory approach transforms the text into a physical experience rather than a purely intellectual one.
What practical challenges have the organisers faced?
The primary difficulties have centred on etiquette and audience expectations. Organisers have had to establish protocols such as requiring patrons to sit on towels. Some attendees arrived without understanding the venue's literal nature, despite emails reminding visitors to bring bathing suits. The venue addresses this by offering borrowed swimwear to those who arrive unprepared—an offer many have accepted.
Notably, nudity is not permitted at the venue, distinguishing it from some international sauna traditions and establishing clear boundaries around the performance experience.
How have audiences responded?
The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Grieve emphasised the emotional and physical benefits audiences report:
"I think one of the great joys is seeing people leave the space having had an experience that's made them feel better physically, emotionally. And that was something we really wanted to capture and harness."He continued:
"We really believe that art and culture is good for you physically and mentally and that combined with sauna, maybe it becomes kind of exponentially good for you."
Carr observed the tangible effects on departing visitors:
"We see these lovely rosy cheeks and beaming faces as they go out. And then when people have come back, they've said: 'I just felt so amazing. Not only did I enjoy it, I felt great for the rest of the day.'"
The venue had become a talk-of-the-festival attraction by mid-August 2026, with audiences seeking out an experience that combines wellness benefits with artistic innovation.
What are the founders' ambitions for the future?
Grieve and Osborne intend to return with the venue in subsequent years, anticipating that audiences will arrive with clearer expectations about what they have booked.
"This has been a really exciting month for us to experiment with what's possible in the sauna space,"Grieve said.
"What we want to do is try to find the kind of work that only works in a sauna or that works best in a sauna. There are plenty of hot rooms in Edinburgh where you can see theatre."
The founders are committed to identifying and developing performance work that genuinely benefits from the sauna environment rather than simply relocating existing theatre into a heated space. This curatorial approach suggests the venue will evolve as both artists and audiences develop a deeper understanding of what the format can uniquely offer.
Key Facts
- Sauna Theatre is the UK's first purpose-built sauna arts venue, seating 80 people in three tiers around three stoves that heat to 90°C (194°F)
- The venue is located in Summerhall's rear courtyard and operates daily from 9am to 11pm throughout August 2026, featuring performances ranging from morning raves to storytelling and music events
- Aufguss, a traditional sauna performance art involving infused steam, choreographed towel-waving and accompanying music and storytelling, forms a core element of the programming
- Sauna theatre traditions exist internationally in Japan, Germany, Italy and other countries, with some venues accommodating over 300 people
- Audiences report significant physical and emotional benefits from attending performances, with many describing improved wellbeing lasting throughout the day
