A steamy new festival is bringing the heat this August.
As wellness tourism continues to boom, Aussies have been treated to a wave of feel-good experiences, from bougie bathhouses and spa retreats to Scandi-chic saunas and community cold plunges.
The latest addition? Australia’s first-ever sauna festival, launched by the newly formed Australian Sauna Association (ASA). Aptly titled The Big Sweat, the two-day event is inviting both seasoned sauna-goers and curious newcomers to crank up the heat.
What is the Big Sweat?
Taking place at the Blue Mountains Sauna in Leura from 22–23 August, The Big Sweat is the first festival of its kind in Australia. Rather than focusing on individual wellness, it embraces the communal nature of sauna culture as a shared social experience.
The two-day event marks a major milestone for the Australian Sauna Association, which officially launched in July of this year. The not-for-profit is Australia’s first national body dedicated to developing and supporting communal sauna culture Down Under, which has long gone without a unified voice.
But it’s not just about empowering existing operators, practitioners and enthusiasts. As part of its mission, the volunteer-led association is committed to education, accessibility and advocacy for all. Whether you’ve embraced the sauna life or barely dipped your toes in, you’re invited to be part of the movement – and there’s no better place to start than The Big Sweat.
A look at the program
As the Australian Sauna Association’s flagship event, The Big Sweat is a celebration of sauna culture and the community behind it. Naturally, the debut festival is centred around communal sauna experiences, using both outdoor woodfired saunas and indoor facilities at Leura’s Blue Mountains Sauna.
To add to the excitement, the wellness centre is set to unveil its new Savu smoke sauna, a traditional Finnish-style design often only found in the northern hemisphere.
Beyond the steam, visitors can explore everything from live music gigs and movement workshops to yoga classes and cold plunges, as well as food trucks, market stalls and expert-led panel talks.
But arguably the program’s biggest highlight is its Aufguss ceremonies, considered one of sauna’s most celebrated rituals. The multi-sensory experience is performed by a trained master, who pours water (often infused with essential oils) over heated stones. Choreographed towel movements then circulate the steam throughout the space, resulting in a deeply restorative environment believed to release mental and physical tension.
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The details
The Big Sweat will take place from 22–23 August at Leura’s Blue Mountains Sauna, which can easily be reached via public transport. Train services run daily between Sydney’s Central and Leura stations, just an eight-minute walk from the festival venue.
If you’re driving, the journey takes around 90 minutes from Sydney. While onsite parking is limited, the surrounding streets and nearby Woolworths have plenty of spots.
Tickets for The Big Sweat are on sale now, with single-day passes priced at $80 for adults and $40 for children. Weekend passes are also available for $150 and $70 respectively, providing the perfect excuse to book a cosy Blue Mountains cabin and turn it into a mini escape.
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