Public radio’s longest-running daily global news program.AboutContactDonateMeet the TeamPrivacyTerms of use©2026 The World from PRXPRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402.‘Show Aufguss’ fills saunas with steam, theatrics and heated competitionsThe German tradition called “Aufguss” combines the heat of a sauna with aromatherapy using essential oils. But the practice has evolved into something theatrical. “Show Aufguss” mixes the experience with music and choreographed towel movements — and it’s getting quite competitive. The World dispatched reporter Joshua Coe in Denmark to sweat it out at the country’s national championships. Arts, Culture & MediaJune 17, 2026Updated: June 17, 20267:04Aufguss master Jeppe Maarbjerg performs during the team show Aufguss competition in Copenhagen, Denmark, May 17, 2026.Denmark’s largest sauna is built like an amphitheater, with three rows of wooden benches encircling an oven in the center. Hot rocks on the stove kept temperatures at about 185 degrees Fahrenheit. On the wooden benches, about 100 half-naked spectators sat sweating it out and awaiting the next act: An overheated rendition of the holiday classic “Home Alone.”The performers entered and a hush fell over the crowd.Stepping toward the oven, a grown man dressed as Kevin McCallister exclaimed, “I made my parents disappear on Christmas!”As “Jingle Bell Rock” blasted through the speakers, Kevin and the two burglars began a choreographed sauna ritual. They placed snowballs infused with essential oils onto the hot stones of the sauna oven before snapping, spinning and tossing their towels overhead, directing the scented steam at the audience. Aromas of cinnamon, clementine and juniper filled the room.Rasmus Thomsen, left, performs “Home Alone” alongside with teammates David Kraus, center, and Márton Decsi, right, during the team show Aufguss competition in Copenhagen, May 17, 2026.Joshua Coe/The WorldThe 15-minute performance culminated in a slapstick chase scene. The audience rippled with laughter as the burglars bonked, clunked and doinked into each other and imagined booby traps. Ultimately, protagonist Kevin whipped out a prop pistol and brought the skit to a heroic end. As the spectators cheered, the three performers took a bow.This is Show Aufguss, a competitive performance art that blends aromatherapy, storytelling, theater and sauna culture — and it is attracting devoted fans across Europe and beyond.The word “Aufguss” comes from German and roughly translates to “pouring on.” In the traditional ritual, an Aufguss master pours water mixed with essential oils onto hot sauna stones, creating bursts of fragrant steam. The master then uses a towel to circulate the heat evenly among guests.Show Aufguss takes that practice and transforms it into something closer to live theater.Aufguss master Niklas Dolleris pours hot water over essential oils and hot rocks on the sauna oven during his solo performance as King Midas, May 17, 2026.Joshua Coe/The WorldCompetitors write and direct elaborate productions to be performed inside a sauna. Music, costumes, props and storytelling are combined with the more practical skills of heat management, fragrance selection and towel-fanning techniques.The Danish national competition in Copenhagen drew Aufguss masters hoping to qualify for this year’s World Championship in Germany.“It was so weird, and it was so amazing,” said spectator John Lindgreen, recalling his first world championship experience in 2016. “You had team shows and single shows, and it was not what Aufguss was normally about.”While the “Home Alone” performance was among the most crowd-pleasing entries, success in the competition requires much more than entertainment.Spectators queue up outside the sauna for an Aufguss show, May 16, 2026.Joshua Coe/The WorldJudges evaluate everything from the quality of heat distribution and fragrance use to storytelling, audience engagement and towel waving technique.“There are a lot of things that you can do wrong,” said jury member Eric Humme from the Netherlands.Humme and the other international judges score performances using a system comparable to that used in figure skating. Dropping a towel or overheating the sauna can result in penalties.“When an Aufguss master puts too much water on the oven, then it’s too hot,” Humme said. That can be grounds for disqualification.Eric Humme, upper right, scores a performance alongside other members of the international jury, May 15, 2026, on the second day of Denmark’s national Aufguss championship.Joshua Coe/The WorldWhat’s critical in show performances, he said, is the emotion that Aufguss masters draw out.One team presented “The Paper Airplane,” a coming-of-age romance that shifted between comedy and drama. Another team’s show was based on the American TV show “Shameless.”In the solo category, a story of Viking courage featuring an axe-wielding Aufguss master did battle against a Shakespearean sauna retelling of the King Midas myth. There was also an original story about a Danish postman struggling with depression and loneliness. The scents of lavender and coffee were used by the performer to evoke his daily routine — his clean, red uniform and the fuel for his bicycle route.The Aufguss master brought in a prop bike. The seat, to the audience’s surprise, was filled with water, which he poured onto the hot stones to release steam. Haggard towel movements and storm effects underscored the character’s emotional journey. By the end of the performance, some audience members appeared visibly moved.From right to left, Aufguss masters Niklas Dolleris, Kennet Borup and Ronny Akkermann pose in their costumes at the Danish Aufguss Championship, May 16 and 17, 2026.Joshua Coe/The WorldThe leader of the “Home Alone” team, Rasmus Thomsen, said that charisma is one of the defining qualities of a successful Aufguss master.“You really know when an Aufguss master knows their stuff,” Thomsen said. “They walk in, they take in the room, they are being professional and just showing joy in what they are actually doing.”Thomsen entered the competition as a favorite. He had already won Denmark’s single-show championship the past two years in a row and had spent nearly a decade honing his craft.When judges announced the results after four days of competition, Thomsen secured first place in both the team and solo categories, earning yet another chance to compete at the international championships in Berlin later this year.Rasmus Thomsen, center, stands alongside second-place and third-place winners of the Aufguss single show competition, May 17, 2026.Joshua Coe/The World“It’s the third year in a row, so I can call myself triple Danish champ,” he said, adding, “It’s going to be fun” in Berlin. I’m going to knock them dead.”In September, Thomsen will face competitors from 18 countries, including representatives from the United States, a relative newcomer to the sport.While Aufguss is a longstanding tradition in German-speaking countries, competitive Show Aufguss is relatively new — the first world championship was held in 2012.The audience gathered inside a Copenhagen sauna awaits the next act at Denmark’s Aufguss championship, May 17, 2026.Joshua Coe/The WorldIn part, it’s an attempt to attract younger sauna-goers, according to Günter Weisgram — a judge from Austria.“We have a problem, especially in Austria, that sauna-goers are getting older and older while young people go to the sauna much less,” Weisgram explained in German. “That has to do with sweating. It makes them uncomfortable. They’re also worried about voyeurs instead of enjoying the experience.”But judging by the crowd in Copenhagen, the movement does seem to be picking up steam.