The Edinburgh Fringe, the world’s largest and most inclusive arts festival, will this year host a sauna theater. Organized from August 7 to 31, the event attracts nearly 3 million visitors each year.
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For the 2026 edition of the Fringe, the Sauna Sessions Art Club will bring to life the first purpose-built “Sauna Theatre” in the United Kingdom, at the Summerhall Arts cultural venue. It will be the first theater and arts center of its kind in the country, and also the largest sauna in the UK.
Founded by Lucy Osborne and James Grieve, the project will combine electrifying music and artistic performances with traditional wellness and sauna culture. It will also take advantage of the Summerhall venue, one of the Fringe’s most popular venues.
The sauna environment, conducive to the release of endorphins, should stimulate blood circulation and relax muscles, creating an immersive experience that intensifies the audience’s senses and allows them to fully enjoy the shows, without distraction.
“We know intimately the power of theater to connect people, ignite imaginations, broaden horizons and foster happiness,†Osborne and Grieve said of their new theater model, as quoted by Time Out.
“We believe that combining the enrichment of art and culture with the incredible boost to health and well-being that the sauna offers will double the benefits and joy. HAS”
What to expect at the Sauna Theater during this Fringe
The venue will accommodate 80 people and will be equipped with state-of-the-art sound and light systems for performances. The temperature will be maintained around 90 degrees Celsius.
The Sauna Theater’s programming already includes, among others, “morning sauna raves”, as well as literary salons and Aufguss sessions, which are based on immersive rituals with essential oils, towel games and narration. It will also offer a range of other music, theater and dance events, as well as club nights.
We can also discover a sauna version of The Waves by Virginia Woolf and a remixed version of Bubble Schmeisis by Nick Cassenbaum.
The project is intended to be flexible and could then tour the United Kingdom after its premiere at the Fringe.
Set designer Lucy Osborne and director James Grieve have already launched Paines Plow’s Roundabout Theater, a traveling auditorium with a capacity of 167 seats.
This year, the Fringe will also host, among other things, the first play by Shaparak Khorsandi, a show celebrating Jack Dee’s 40-year comedy career, Jack’s Joke Show, as well as a one-woman show by actress Hannah Reilly.
