World Sauna Forum 2026: 400+ People, 36 Nationalities and One Shared Language Sauna

More than 400 participants, 36 nationalities, 35 speakers and one shared passion: sauna. World Sauna Forum 2026 brought the global sauna community together for three days of business, wellbeing, networking and unforgettable sauna experiences — proving once again that sauna connects people across cultures.

World Sauna Forum 2026 gathered sauna professionals, companies, media representatives, wellbeing experts and sauna enthusiasts from around the world. More than 400 participants registered for the event, representing 36 nationalities. The largest participant groups came from Finland, the United States, Canada and Estonia — but at the heart of the event was one shared language: sauna. 

Over three days and 40.5 hours of programme, World Sauna Forum offered keynote speeches, company showcases, networking, sauna experiences and discussions on the future of the industry. The programme featured 35 speakers, while 34 companies exhibited at the Sauna & Wellness Market and Pop-up Sauna Village. The event was supported by eight sponsors and 12 cooperation partners who share the belief that the world needs more sauna. 

Based on participant feedback, the true strength of the event was its people. One respondent described World Sauna Forum as “a who’s who in the sauna world.” Another highlighted the atmosphere with the words: “Family vibe and kindness of people.” Across the feedback, the same themes appeared again and again: international community, new contacts, meaningful encounters and the opportunity to discuss the development of the sauna industry with like-minded people.

The survey results support this. 88% of respondents said the event met or exceeded their expectations, while 71% gave the event the highest possible overall rating. The event also proved to be a valuable business platform: 85% of respondents said they created valuable business contacts, and 59% said they created many valuable contacts during the event.

Networking was one of the most important parts of World Sauna Forum 2026. The matchmaking platform resulted in 230 completed meetings, and many participants mentioned meeting new industry contacts as one of the highlights of the forum. Comments included “networking, getting new contacts,” “several meetings with new sauna friends” and “highlight of the event was to meet so many good sauna contacts.”

World Sauna Forum was not just a conference. It was also an experience. During the event, 15 pre- and post-tours were organised, 177 participants joined Aufguss experiences, and 170 people travelled by boat to Savutuvan Apaja. At one point, 55 people squeezed onto the sauna benches at once — offering, as the event summary put it, “a new definition of personal space.” 

The sauna experiences were repeatedly mentioned in the feedback. Participants highlighted the pre-tours, the evening at Savutuvan Apaja, the Pop-up Sauna Village, whisking experiences, community sauna discussions and cultural presentations. One participant summed up the event by saying: “This event was so well organized and you can feel the care and thoughtfulness that went into the planning.”

The event also gained strong visibility beyond the venue. There were 17 journalists present, the World Sauna Forum website saw 38% more visitors, and Instagram content gathered 344,600 views. Sauna was seen, heard and shared — also in the digital space. 

The feedback gave a clear direction for the future. Participants hoped for more in-depth content, practical workshops, technical expertise, targeted programme tracks for operators and builders, and even more discussion around global sauna business. Desired future topics included global sauna business, public sauna trends, sauna technology, sustainability, architecture and design, and Finnish sauna culture.

One respondent wished for “more operator specific streams,” while another suggested a “sauna builder roundtable to share best practices.” Several participants also expressed a desire for renewal: new perspectives, new locations, new audiences and content that goes deeper into practical knowledge and industry-specific development.

This kind of feedback shows that World Sauna Forum is seen as an important international platform — one that participants want to help develop further. It is not only a place to listen to presentations, but a forum where the future of the sauna industry is built together.

World Sauna Forum 2026 showed that sauna connects people across countries, industries and cultures. It is wellbeing, business, tourism, design, culture and community. Above all, it is an experience that people want to return to again and again.