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A wellness trend is heating up major cities across Canada, and it’s changing what a night out could look like.
Picture this: a DJ, a makeshift dance floor and drinks.
Only it’s 8 p.m. on a Wednesday and there’s no alcohol — instead, there’s a sauna.
This is a sauna rave, where guests cycle between an cold plunge, hot sauna and a lounge space that transforms into a dance floor with a live DJ.
“A sauna rave is so different than anything else you can do,” said Miriam Rodriguez, while attending a women-only event at PRML, a contrast therapy facility created by Rumble Boxing Studio in Calgary.
“This is the perfect mix of something holistic and refreshing, yet fun.”
Hot-and-cold therapy has been around for centuries, and supporters say it’s heart-healthy, can boost energy, ease sore muscles and reduce stress.
At PRML, sauna raves are typically held earlier than you’d usually hit the club — say, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
PRML opened last June and recently started hosting sauna raves, which they plan to host monthly.
“[I’m] doing it for the health and wellness and to hang out with the girls,” said attendee Kaili Hu.
Sauna raves are heating up in cities across Canada, blending wellness with nightlife — minus the alcohol.
“The vibe of a sauna rave is people who obviously want to be in a wellness space, dancing, doing everything you would do at a rave except for drinking,” said Makina Labrecque, marketing manager at PRML.
She said the sauna parties are drawing men and women of all ages, but primarily those between the age of 30 and 45.
“We are creating a shared experience somewhere where you don’t have to eat and drink, but you can just connect,” said Labrecque.
In Toronto, Othership hosts a variety of social sauna events from comedy nights to couples-only evenings.
Every few months, Othership elevates the experience, offering a large, high-energy event, often in partnership with Daybreaker, a sober global dance movement launched in 2013 and known for its sober daytime dance parties.
“The sauna and the cold, they just have this natural capacity to just loosen our inhibitions,” said Harry Taylor, co-founder of Othership, which has two locations in Toronto and two in New York.
“There’s a chance for real, true and authentic connection.”
Even big names are getting involved. Spice Girl Melanie C stepped behind the DJ deck at a Daybreaker event at one of Othership’s New York locations last November.
“It’s just got a sexy sort of vibe,” said Taylor.
“Despite the fact that people are in their bathing suits and there’s a level of vulnerability that’s required there, it’s low light and it just feels safe to be in this space with one another.”
Othership has locations in Toronto and New York. While they offer solo and guided experiences, co-founder Harry Taylor describes why sober sauna raves are growing in popularity.
Sauna businesses ‘booming,’ expert says
The use of hot-and-cold therapy for healing and therapeutic benefits isn’t new, but interest is growing.
“The wellness industry is evolving and expanding rapidly,” said Jennifer Findlay, founder of Core Essence, a boutique wellness design and consulting firm that helps businesses design and construct spa and wellness spaces.
Findlay said saunas are especially important now because more and more people are focused on performance and recovery.
“There’s a growing interest and understanding by everyday consumers that there’s more to health and well-being than just going to a gym and working out and eating healthy, there’s a variety of other practices that you can engage in to help the health of your body,” she said.
From a business perspective, Findlay says businesses with saunas and cold plunges require less space, lower startup costs and fewer staff than traditional spas.
While growth “has been booming” in major cities, Findlay says she expects expansion into smaller markets may be next.
Sauna as a the ‘third space’
Experts say these venues are filling an important gap: the so-called “third space,” somewhere people can go outside of home or work.
“The sauna is replacing the pub as a social place to gather,” said Alan Jalasjaa, an ambassador with Sauna from Finland, a Finnish sauna experience association. Jalasjaa lives in Waterloo, Ont., but travels the world educating people on the authentic Finnish sauna experience.
He said the shift is global.
“The social side of sauna has become actually the most popular area of growth,” he said. “Instead of staying at home and having a sauna in your backyard or your basement, now you’re going out to public saunas and sharing this space with others.”
A place to disconnect
Of course, not every sauna experience is a party.
Spaces like PRML and Othership also offer quiet sessions and guided classes for those looking to unwind solo.
In Calgary, Offline Wellness Club takes a more low-key approach. What started as a run club has grown into a broader community focused on rest and recovery.
“Our intention was to build a space that people can leave their phones in their lockers, leave their phones at home and just take an hour and disconnect,” said Nina Hill, the club’s co-founder.
“Maybe it’s a Friday night. We’re staying open until 12 a.m. We’re cranking our music up a little bit louder and just creating an atmosphere that people can connect like they once used to at a bar, but this time it’s in a sauna and you just wake up the next day feeling a million times better.”
