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The Edinburgh Fringe is one of the planet’s great cultural feasts, but it can also be downright exhausting. Fatigue is very much part of the Fringe experience, a result of running around to see stuff at all hours, desperate not to miss anything special.
If you’re up for some R&R at this year’s Fringe but don’t want to miss out on any theatre while you do it, here’s just the thing. This summer a sauna will open in Edinburgh that is also a theatre. It will apparently be the UK's first purpose-built sauna arts centre.
The sauna is coming to the rear courtyard of Summerhall, which makes a lot of sense. Saunas are hot topic in the UK at the mo, and Summerhall is the Fringe’s hippest venue. Not only will the Sauna Theatre be the first venue of its kind in Britain, it’ll also be the country’s biggest sauna.
The 80-seat venue – which will be heated to a toasty 90C – will boast a programme of theatre, music and dance, as well as masters of German sauna ritual aufguss. Highlights include a ‘remixed’ version of Nick Cassenbaum’s sell-out performance Bubble Schmeisis, an aufguss reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s The Waves and several ‘raves’ and club nights. Sounds both cool and very, very hot.
Summerhall’s Sauna Theatre is the first project from new company Sauna Sessions Arts Club, and is the idea of director James Grieve and designer Lucy Osborne. The duo previously launched Paines Plough's Roundabout theatre, a tourable in-the-round 167-seat auditorium. Grieve and Osborne said about their new sauna-theatre hybrid:
‘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.’
Like the Roundabout, the Sauna Theatre has been conceived as modular and mountable. In other words, roasted theatre, comedy and dance might not just be an Auld Reekie thing – the venue may well tour to other parts of the UK.
Sauna Theatre is part of Summerhall’s latest wave of Fringe lineup announcements. Also confirmed this week is the debut play by Shaparak Khorsandi, a new show from Hannah Maxwell, a one-woman play from actress Hannah Reilly and more. You can find out more and book tickets on the Summerhall website here.
Time Out’s ultimate guide to the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe
For when and where the Fringe takes place, as well as info on tickets and pricing, check out Time Out Theatre Editor Andrzej Lukowski’s guide to the 2026 edition here.
Find individual show guides below:
Plus, our top tips on where to stay for the Fringe.
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