Culture of Bathe-ing

Pioneer Works is excited to partner with Therme Group's pop-up sauna festival at Domino Park to bring Hot Bodies: a series of talks, rituals, workshops, and performances in the bathhouse. In this unconventional space, heat and close proximity reshape how we feel, listen, and relate—creating openness to new ideas and forms of connection.

At New York City’s first-ever sauna festival, a celebration of heat, ritual, and community unfolding across 17 uniquely designed saunas, and over 1,000 guided sessions led by Aufguss masters from over 12 different countries, including heat, sound, movement, and performance experiences. Programmings feature guided sessions, live performances, music, readings, sound immersions, artist activations, and more. Woven between free public gatherings and ticketed workshops, the festival invites participants to slow down, sweat together, and rediscover warmth as a shared cultural act.

About Culture of Bathe-ing

Culture of Bathe-ing is a global community that celebrates the modern resurgence of communal bathing as both a tool for preventative health and a response to growing social isolation within modern urban life. Through its Substack, social channels, and an evolving slate of IRL gatherings, Culture of Bathe-ing convenes enthusiasts, architects, sauna masters, operators, artists, and cultural thinkers who are shaping the future of communal bathing. Programming has included a bathing-culture variety show, citywide “bathe-arounds” at New York bathhouses, and a convening of 100+ global sauna owners and operators – with the next major gathering planned for 2026 – positioning communal bathing as essential social infrastructure for healthier, more connected cities. Culture of Bathe-ing is supported by Therme Group.