'The hottest comedy show in the world'
Is stand-up in a sauna the next big thing?
Certain venues at the Edinburgh Fringe have a reputation for being something of a sauna.
But comedy fans this week sweated through the real thing, watching stand-up in temperatures of up to 85C in an actual sauna.
And in between sets, punters took the plunge in ice baths in an event which combined the wellness craze of contrast therapy with a regular stand-up night.
The session took place as part of the New York Comedy Festival, where it was billed as ‘the hottest comedy show in the world’. A second gig is set for the Othership spa in the city’s Flatiron district on Monday.
Compere Andrew Packer – pictured about in an Instagram clip – posted this teaser on social media:
‘Step into our cedar-lined sanctuary where comedians deliver intimate sets in the enveloping heat punctuated with an intermission in icy waters to create a comedy experience unlike any other,’ the blurb for the show read. adding: ‘An evening of laughter, release, and collective joy that amplifies both the humor and your state of being.
‘This is not just a comedy show, but a full-sensory journey where punchlines land differently and inhibitions melt away with each temperature shift. Expect a sauna to sweat, ice bath to drop-in, towel waving, aromatherapy and live comedy performances that will leave you breathless in more ways than one.’
Emilio Savone of The New York Comedy Club, which partnered with Othership to stage the gigs, said: ‘Sauna comedy brings that perfect mix of sweat, laughter and energy we live for.’
New York Post journalist McKenzie Beard experienced the show and said she found a stronger bond with fellow members of the audience than she would at a normal show.
‘Even though I’d just met most of the people in the room, I felt an unexpected sense of connection, a communal bond that reminded me why humans have been sweating together in saunas for centuries,’ she wrote.
‘I see a lot of comedy in New York, and few other times come to mind where I’ve walked out of a bar or theater feeling as genuinely happy as I did last night. And I’m pretty sure the jokes were only part of it.’
Published: 14 Nov 2025
