About
International Sauna Congress is the official congress of the International Sauna Association.
The congress is organized every fourth year, each time in a different country. The first congress was held in Bielefeld, Germany, in 1956.
ISC 2026 will be held in Oslo, Norway, September 24th–26th 2026, hosted by The Norwegian Sauna Association (Norges Badstulaug).
The goal of the congress is to promote scientific studies of the sauna with aspects such as its social history, folklore, medicine, economy and technology, but first and foremost to bring the sauna world together.
Contact
Norwegian Sauna Association
Norwegian Sauna Association (Norges Badstulaug) is the national sauna association of Norway, and a member of International Sauna Association. It’s mission is to build, promote and preserve Norwegian badstue culture, and to make badstue accessible for all. Nearly 200 sauna operators all over Norway are members of the association.
International Sauna Association
The International Sauna Association (ISA) is an association of national and other sauna societies, organisations and private people. It was founded in 1958, and has 21 national members around the world. ISA and its members shall pursue the goal of publicizing the sauna and promoting its use on a global scale by rallying supporters of sauna activities in different countries.
Arena: SALT ART & MUSIC
SALT Art & Music is a culture hub and sauna village on the docks of central Oslo, next to the iconic Oslo Opera House.
SALT was established as an art project above the Arctic Circle in 2014. It circles around the triangular hjell, the traditional fish rack for drying cod, Norway’s foundational export product for thousands of years.
It was created by Rintala Eggerton Architects together with Erlend Mogård-Larsen, and has received numerous awards and global media attention for creating a communal space in an urban environment.
Main sponsor and partner
The Well is the largest and most exclusive spa and bathhouse in the Nordics, and a natural gathering place for everyone passionate about sauna, wellness, and bathing culture.
Theme sponsors
Partners
