Across the United Kingdom, a quiet revolution is taking place in how people choose to connect. The traditional pub meet-up is facing a surprising new challenger: the sauna. Journalist Zoe Williams, writing for the Guardian, documented her own foray into this burgeoning scene, noting that establishments dedicated to communal heat are suddenly everywhere.
The Rise of the Sober Social
Williams observed that the trend appears to be driven by a serious desire for connection without the influence of alcohol. She traces a slow evolution in British social habits, moving from non-alcoholic beers and coffee dates to the now-ubiquitous walking meetings born during the Covid-19 pandemic. The sauna, she suggests, represents a logical endpoint: a space where drinking alcohol is not just discouraged but physically dangerous, preventing the default social lubricant from being part of the equation.
"I think people are pretty serious about wanting to see each other without having to get drunk," Williams concluded from her observations. The rules within these spaces reinforce this shift. Despite sitting in close proximity to others in a state of stillness, with no distractions, conversation is not the primary goal. Interrogating fellow sauna-goers about their reasons for attending or their personal lives is actively discouraged.
Wellness Without the Agenda
This new social model also signals a departure from the relentless pursuit of self-improvement that often characterises wellness culture. Williams highlights that people are not primarily visiting saunas to lose weight, optimise their brown fat, or reduce inflammation—though these may be welcome side effects. The core appeal is simpler and more profound: it just makes you feel zen. The experience is valued for its immediate, calming effect, not as a means to a quantifiable end.
A Personal Experiment
Zoe Williams admits her own initial bafflement at the trend, having previously associated saunas with medical therapy or Icelandic tourism. Her perspective changed after finding herself surrounded by the phenomenon, with one friend joining a sauna club and another opening a venue. As a self-professed "joiner," she decided to experience it firsthand, albeit without fully understanding the point.
While Williams states she is not yet fully committed to this "new, wiser way of life," she acknowledges that those who have embraced it seem to be on to something. The growing popularity of saunas as social venues suggests a significant cultural shift towards valuing presence, calm, and sober companionship in an increasingly hectic world.
