UK sauna enthusiasts will converge at Galgorm Resort in Northern Ireland next week for the highly anticipated second annual UK Aufguss Championships.

Hosted from 22-24, the event will see competitors from across the UK showcasing their skill and aptitude in Aufguss – an ancient European sauna ritual that involves infusing essential oils into the sauna air, creating a sensory journey for participants.

The brainchild of British Aufguss trainer Deborah Carr of Anada Spa and Wellness – and vice president of Aufguss WM Lasse Eriksen, the second UK Aufguss Championships will feature six competitors from around the country, who will demonstrate their mastery of the sauna ceremony.

Each will compete for the title of UK Aufguss champion and a place at the 2024 Aufguss WM World Championships, which will be held in Holland in September.

Aufguss has long been popular in mainland Europe – particularly countries including Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and the Nordics but is a fairly new sauna concept within the UK.

Eriksen – who is on the judging panel for 2024 – said: “Aufguss WM is an international group whose main goal is to share the love for Aufguss ceremonies and the social connectedness between sweat cultures and people.

“By having the UK join the Aufguss WM, we’ve added one of the most vibrant and exciting sauna development countries in Europe and we see this as the start of something huge to come for the public health of the UK population”.

This year’s event is being sponsored for a second year by Finnmark – UK-based sauna specialists, and Beach Box – an off-grid Sauna Spa with three traditional wood-fired saunas and cold plunges, on Brighton Beach.