Saunafestivaalit- The Sauna Festival

The Sauna Festival

Ikaalinen’s Sauna Festival, which happens every year in mid-July, offers a great variety of portable saunas, hot tubs, and vendors of sauna products and services. The midnight sauna is a fantastic experience! During the festival is decided the winner of the Finnish Championships in vihta or sauna whisk making and steam slinging (löylynheitto), alongside the Sauna Champion and Smoke Sauna Champion of the year.

Arranged by Ikaalinen’s ‘Steam Slingers’ (löylynheittajat), this traditional sauna festival changes in form slightly every year, but always happens on the third weekend in July, in the grounds around Villa Vihta on Camping Toivolansaari (Toivolansaarentie 3, Ikaalinen), on an island, framed by the shores of the beautiful Lake Kyrösjärvi.

For years, our sauna festivals have attracted a large number of sauna culture lovers from all over Finland.

We have exciting portable saunas, with hot tubs for those who find the lake water too cool, and vendors of various products and sauna therapies.

You can experience the joys of a midnight sauna at our magnificent new Villa Vihta sauna. Or view intense moments of competition in the Finnish sauna-whisk-making championships, then watch our playful steam slinging or löylynheitto competition.

You’ll learn how to make a proper birch whisk for your own sauna on the spot.

You’ll discover happy people and music, with sweet and salty food and drinks for you to buy—although you’re welcome to bring your own snacks and beverages.

Access to the area is free, with saunas available upon payment of a festival fee.

Come relax and have fun with the whole family!