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Hot ticket: UK’s first sauna theatre draws swimwear-clad audiences

The Guardian World Thursday 27 August 2026, 04:00 UTC By Robyn Vinter 1 min read
Key Points

The 80-seat venue at Edinburgh fringe combines sauna rituals with theatre, music, storytelling … and sweatTucked away behind the Summerhall arts centre is the hottest new venue at the Edinburgh fringe … quite literally. The Sauna theatre has proved popular among theatregoers at the world’s largest performing arts festival, with shows inside its purpose-built, 80-seat sauna drawing sweaty, swimwear-clad crowds. Visitors may be forgiven for thinking the sauna is a gimmick, especially at the...

The 80-seat venue at Edinburgh fringe combines sauna rituals with theatre, music, storytelling … and sweat

Tucked away behind the Summerhall arts centre is the hottest new venue at the Edinburgh fringe … quite literally. The Sauna theatre has proved popular among theatregoers at the world’s largest performing arts festival, with shows inside its purpose-built, 80-seat sauna drawing sweaty, swimwear-clad crowds.

Visitors may be forgiven for thinking the sauna is a gimmick, especially at the fringe where absurd, experimental and ludicrous performances are not uncommon. This year they include a man drinking his own urine, someone singing the same song over and over, physical feats of exertion and several fully naked shows.

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UK (LOCATION) Edinburgh (LOCATION) Sauna (LOCATION)
Originally published by The Guardian World Read original →

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