Wellness experiences have surged in popularity across Australia in recent years, with swanky spas and saunas, cold plunges and Nordic-inspired bathing experiences popping up across the country. Now the trend is reaching a new milestone, with the Blue Mountains set to host Australia’s first dedicated sauna festival later this month. Taking place over two days in Leura, The Big Sweat will bring together everything from wood-fired saunas to guided rituals, wellness sessions, live music and local food in a celebration of communal sauna culture. Here’s everything you need to know.
The Big Sweat heads to the Blue Mountains
Held at Blue Mountains Sauna in Leura, the festival will feature five different sauna experiences across the weekend. Alongside the venue’s existing Finnish sauna, Swedish bastu and cedar sauna, the event will also introduce a traditional Savu smoke sauna, believed to be the first public wood-fired smoke sauna of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Guided Aufguss ceremonies, where trained sauna masters use water, heat and towel techniques to circulate fragrant steam through the room, will run throughout the program, alongside traditional whisking sessions inspired by Nordic and Baltic sauna traditions.
There’s a lot more on the cards aside from the sauna experiences. Visitors can take part in yoga and breath work sessions, alternate between hot saunas and cold plunge pools, browse market stalls, enjoy food and drink from local vendors and listen to live music across the two-day event. The program also includes expert-led panel discussions exploring sauna culture, wellness and the growing popularity of communal bathing, with sessions designed to appeal to both experienced enthusiasts and first-time visitors alike.
Key details
- What: The Big Sweat Sauna Festival
- Where: Blue Mountains Sauna, 7 Quinns Avenue, Leura
- When: Friday, August 22 and Saturday, August 23
- Tickets: Adult day passes $80, adult weekend passes $150
- Children’s tickets: $40 for a day pass or $70 for a weekend pass
- What’s included: Access to the festival program, including sauna experiences, wellness sessions, talks, live music, food vendors and market stalls (subject to your ticket and event schedule)
Find more information on the Blue Mountains Sauna website.
Getting there
Blue Mountains Sauna is located on Quinns Avenue in Leura, around a 90-minute drive from Sydney via the M4 and Great Western Highway. You can also catch a direct train from Central to Leura Station, with the venue around an eight-minute walk away. On-site parking is limited, but additional street parking and public parking are available nearby. Plan your trip on Transport for NSW.
