Therme Manchester has partnered with Sauna Sessions Arts Club to support Sauna Theatre, a new initiative at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This project seeks to introduce attendees to the art of Aufguss (a guided European sauna ritual) and promote the development of a new British sauna culture.
Sauna Sessions Arts Club is an organisation that combines sauna, art, wellbeing, and social connection.
Therme Manchester will become the UK’s largest urban wellbeing resort, and this partnership supports its broader aim to highlight the physical, social, and cultural advantages of sauna and wellbeing experiences.
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Sauna Sessions Arts Club’s Sauna Theatre opened this August as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and is the UK’s first purpose-built sauna arts centre. With seating for 80, it is also the largest sauna venue of its kind in the UK.
Immersive sauna experience
Sauna Theatre, created by James Grieve and Lucy Osborne, offers theatre, literature, comedy, music, and Aufguss, which is an immersive sauna experience that blends heat, essential oils, movement, and performance.
Professor David Russell, CEO of Therme UK, says: “Aufguss is hugely popular across Europe but remains relatively unknown in the UK. Through this partnership we have an opportunity to introduce new audiences to the experience while supporting a growing community of independent sauna operators and practitioners across the country.
"We see this as the beginning of a wider movement that celebrates the social, cultural and wellbeing benefits of sauna.”
Grieve adds: “We are beyond excited to open the doors to the UK’s first Sauna Theatre and bring together the extraordinary powers of heat and art.
“We know profoundly the power of theatre to connect people, fire imaginations, broaden horizons and engender happiness. We think combining the enrichment of art and culture with the incredible health and wellbeing boost of sauna will double the benefits and double the joy.”
Rachel Read, blooloop's strategic director, visited the experience and says:
"This is an interesting development highlighting the huge potential to blend wellness and attraction technologies with theatrical storytelling to create a new kind of transformational visitor experience."
Last week, Therme Group and Marriott International announced that they are joining forces to explore the future of wellness in travel and hospitality. The partnership brings together Marriott's global platform and Therme's expertise in wellness, longevity and social experiences.
Charlotte Coates is blooloop's editor. She is from Brighton, UK and previously worked as a librarian. She has a strong interest in arts, culture and information and graduated from the University of Sussex with a degree in English Literature. Charlotte can usually be found either with her head in a book or planning her next travel adventure.