UK Sauna News: June 2026

The first half of June has been unusually busy for British sauna culture: the sector’s annual summit met in Brighton, a new Nordic-sourced retailer opened its doors, and two very different new places to sweat moved closer to opening, one on a Shetland croft and one floating on a London dock. Here is what happened and why it matters if you are buying a sauna or planning your next session.

British Sauna Summit 2026 meets at Brighton Dome

The British Sauna Society held its 2026 summit on 1 June at Brighton Dome, billed as the UK’s leading gathering for the sauna and bathing community. The day covered sector growth, public health applications and professional standards, including the society’s new national framework for sauna professionals (Sauna Host, Sauna Guide and Sauna Master), and finished with the Sauna Awards and a sauna party on Brighton beach. For visitors, the framework matters: as more operators adopt it, you should find it easier to judge whether a venue’s staff actually know how to run a löyly or an Aufguss session. Details are on the British Sauna Society summit page.

New UK retailer Simply Saunas launches with Estonian and Lithuanian cabins

On 1 June, Gudrum Classics Ltd launched Simply Saunas, a UK retail platform selling barrel, cube and log cabin outdoor saunas plus indoor and infrared models, all built in Estonia and Lithuania under brands including Kajo, Stjarna and Norland. The pitch is UK warehouse stock with delivery within seven days on many models, free shipping and partner installation. More competition at the premium garden cabin end is good news for buyers, but the basics still decide whether a cabin works for you: heater sizing, wiring and siting. Our home sauna buying guide for the UK walks through all three. The launch announcement is on GlobeNewswire via the Manila Times.

Shetland council approves a sea-view sauna on Yell

Shetland Islands Council has approved plans for a sauna at Sellafirth on the island of Yell, reported by the Shetland Times on 6 June. Operator Diane Tulloch will build the sauna in a decrofted garden beside newly planted woodland, with uninterrupted panoramic sea views and opening hours of 1pm to 8pm, Thursday to Monday; the approval comes with conditions on parking and a native-species biodiversity plan. It is another marker of how far the wild sauna movement has spread beyond the usual coastal hotspots, and a sign that small rural operators can get planning consent with a sensible site plan. Full story at the Shetland Times.

Sea Lanes Canary Wharf: floating lido with saunas opens 19 June

Sea Lanes Canary Wharf, a 50 metre freshwater lido floating on Eden Dock in east London, opens on Friday 19 June with two glass-fronted saunas overlooking the water, both powered by renewable energy. Run by the National Open Water Coaching Association, the team behind Sea Lanes Brighton, it offers pay-as-you-swim sessions alongside membership, with lifeguards on site and the pool water kept separate from the Thames. A 90C sauna next to a cold six-lane pool is the closest London gets to a proper Nordic hot-cold circuit; if you are planning a visit, see where it fits among the best saunas in London. Opening details via Time Out London.