With young Londoners turning away from alcohol and towards more wellness-based social activities, Community Sauna Baths is paving the way for the London sauna boom
A heavily graffitied wall surrounds a large patch of grass in the middle of a main road in Stratford while tower blocks loom overhead. It would be easy to miss the entrance to Community Sauna Baths, with the only nod to its existence being a blue ‘welcome’ sign with an illustration of a sauna hidden among the graffiti. A wooden path leads the way through the grass to a slightly tattered metal locker full of shoes and bags. Rounding the corner, a group of young Londoners gather, undressing themselves and preparing for an hour unwinding and relaxing; some are alone, some in groups.
As more young people turn away from alcohol, the popularity of saunas as a space to connect and socialise rises. With the rise of wellness has come the rise of saunas, according to the British Sauna Society, the number of Finnish-style public saunas in the UK doubled between early 2023 and 2024, jumping from 45 to 90. This popularity is expected to grow and exceed 200 in 2025. Alongside this, research from Movendi International found that nearly 43 per cent of 18-34-year-olds in the UK are choosing to live their lives alcohol free.
In the middle of the courtyard in Stratford Community Sauna Baths is a communal area with people sitting on wooden stairs, cooling down after stints in the heat. People help themselves to free water in reusable plastic cups. John, 31 and Lily, 33, have come to the sauna with a friend. Lily comes to the Stratford community sauna around twice a month and it is John’s first time here. “I find it really relaxing,” Lily says. “It’s a nice way to catch up with your friends in a calm environment which doesn’t involve drinking.” John agrees: “Four years ago, there was no chance we would have been going to a sauna on a Friday night – we would have been going to the pub.”
Stratford Community Sauna Baths is a not-for-profit sauna initiative with locations in Hackney, Camberwell, Bermondsey and more. However, it is just one of many sauna companies that have been popping up all around the capital such as ARC in Canary Wharf and New Docklands Steam Baths in Newham. According to statistics from Community Sauna Baths, each weekend they welcome around 1,500 people to their locations, and this is set to be doubled in 2025. With their affordable prices: £9.50 for a 90-minute session, the company is making saunas more accessible to young people in the city.
Not only are saunas relaxing, but they also come with a whole host of mental and physical benefits, as journalist and author Emma O’Kelly, author of ‘Sauna: The Power of Deep Heat’ explains. A 2019 Finnish study found that taking three saunas a week reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 50 per cent. “This research has paved the way for a huge interest of the medical side of heat therapy and heat studies,” she says. “I think this has sparked the rise in popularity and interest in saunas.”
Some more of the physical benefits of taking regular saunas, Emma explains, are reduced inflammation, improved circulation and being good for your skin. Anecdotally, saunas can also help with anxiety and depression and can improve sleep quality. Interestingly, there is also sauna operators in the UK who are running sessions for people with ADHD, as it offers mental benefits for those in the neurodivergent community. One of these benefits are an increase in norepinephrine, a hormone and transmitter in the brain which aids focus and attention.
More young Londoners than ever are choosing to reap the benefits of sauna, Allison Huff, founder of SweatLounge infrared sauna in Chiswick explains. “What used to be seen as something for older adults or elite athletes has completely changed,” she says. “Now, our core users are in their twenties and thirties, and they’re coming in regularly, not just as a one-off treat.” This change began in 2018 but accelerated greatly post-Covid. The interest in sauna from young people has only grown since then. “After lockdown there was this real craving for mindful, health boosting rituals,” she says. “That’s where saunas started gaining traction.”
“After lockdown there was this real craving for mindful, health boosting rituals…that’s where saunas started gaining traction.”
This boom in interest amongst young people could be due to a few different reasons, Allison says. Young people are becoming more interested in their health, especially in “preventative wellness” which saunas help with. Another reason is social media, with influencers and celebrities sharing their daily routines which include using saunas. “That kind of visibility makes it more accessible and aspirational,” she says. “It’s no longer something mysterious; it’s part of a modern lifestyle.”
Finally, young people are shifting away from typical Friday-night drinks culture, turning to more wellness-based activities to socialise and unwind. “It’s part of a bigger trend of redefining what it means to take care of yourself,” she says. “For this generation, it’s about investing in experiences that improve your physical and mental state.”
In the outdoor space of Stratford Community Sauna Baths, there are three separate saunas and four ice plunges – one in a rustic metal bathtub. There is a row of changing rooms hidden from others by orange curtains, and some cold outdoor showers. Inside the saunas it is quiet, with minimal chatter between friends. Someone occasionally breaks the silence with an offer to pour some water on the coals. When the water turns to steam the temperature rises quickly and the chatter fades away.
Left: Changing rooms, Right: Worker sweeps one of the saunas. Pics: Molly Flaherty
Pip, 30, flits between stints in the heat of the sauna and the cold of the ice bath. As someone with a heart condition, she tries to attend a sauna session at least once a week, but normally twice. “Sauna is very good for regulating my stress levels,” she says. “It reduces my heart rate, keeping it low. It also helps me to tolerate differenced in temperature as well.” Not only this, but communal saunas allow her to feel a sense of connection while gaining the health benefits of the sauna. “I recognise a lot of regulars who come here, which is nice,” she says. “It also feels good to do something without your phone or online.”
Elettra McConnell, 23, a first timer at Community Sauna Baths explains how she had been apprehensive before coming to a session but had been pleasantly surprised. “I thought saunas were something older people usually did,” she says. “But the age range of the people here were within my age range, so I felt more comfortable.” Following the sauna, she felt a decrease in anxiety and felt ready to take on the rest of the day. “After the session I went to Westfield shopping centre which would usually give me lots of anxiety,” she says. “After the sauna, I found I could navigate my emotions well.”
After our hour-and-a-half is up, the worker on shift comes into the sauna and quietly let us know it is time to leave. People gather their things and change into their clothing again; slow, relaxed and stress-free – meandering to their next destination. The saunas are swept and cleaned, awaiting their next batch of Londoners, eager to sweat their stress out.
