Public Sauna Culture comes to New York City with ‘Culture of Bathe-ing’-Festival
Culture of Bathe-ing Sauna Village - rendering
Beginning February 12 and running through March 1, 2026, ‘Culture of Bathe-ing’ will transform Domino Park on the Williamsburg waterfront into the site of an unprecedented bathing experiment. The festival marks the first event of its kind in New York City and the largest sauna village ever staged in the United States.
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Culture of Bathe-ing’ in New York City
This winter, Therme Group brings an unprecedented cultural experience to New York City’s waterfront. ‘Culture of Bathe-ing’, running February 12 through March 1, 2026, will transform Domino Park in Williamsburg into the city’s first large-scale public sauna festival and the largest sauna village ever staged in the United States. Blending architecturally distinct saunas with art, ritual, and live performance, the open-air festival reimagines bathing as a communal and civic act rather than a private wellness escape. Led by Robert Hammond, co-founder of the High Line and President of Therme Group US , ‘Culture of Bathe-ing’ positions New York at the forefront of a growing global bathing movement.
Seventeen architecturally distinct saunas anchor the open-air site, hosting more than 1,000 guided sessions led by internationally renowned Aufguss World Champions and bathing practitioners, including teams from Bathhouse, Othership, and the Russian & Turkish Baths.
Produced by Therme Group, ‘Culture of Bathe-ing’ turns Domino Park into part bathhouse, part cultural venue. The grounds are open to the public, featuring free workshops and performances alongside ticketed sauna sessions priced between $60 and $125. In support of its mission to democratize wellbeing, the festival will release more than 1,000 complimentary tickets.
The cultural programming
Cultural programming is curated in partnership with Pioneer Works and presented under the title Hot Bodies, filling the park with live performance, sound, ritual, and immersive art. The program includes both free public-facing events and ticketed workshops during NYC’s spring break week, led by artists and organizations such as Black Painters Academy, Tone Center, and the Amateur Astronomers Association.
Drawing on Therme Group’s global experience producing bathing and cultural projects, ‘Culture of Bathe-ing’ positions New York at the forefront of a growing international movement that reconnects ancient bathing traditions with contemporary urban life.
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Website: Culture of Bathing
