Leeds gets first sauna and ice bath cafe at Saxton Gardens

Leeds has added a new wellness stop at Saxton Gardens, where Kontrast opened its sauna and ice bath cafe behind a railway arch in the city centre. The launch marks a clear shift for cold immersion in Leeds: this is being positioned less like a hard-edged recovery room and more like a social space where sauna time, plunges and coffee sit side by side.

The setup is built for flexibility. Kontrast’s Leeds site lists 3 solo ice baths, 1 communal ice bath, 3 saunas, a cafe serving speciality coffee, fresh juices, teas and snacks, an event space and a chill-out area. Visit Leeds said the venue includes two traditional saunas, one infrared sauna and four ice baths ranging from 3 to 13 degrees, giving visitors options whether they want a quick reset or a longer thermal session. Single sessions are priced at £12 for 45 minutes, while 90-minute sessions start from £20, with membership and credit-pack savings bringing the cost down to as little as £7.

That pricing and format matter as much as the ice itself. Kontrast has been built around accessible, inclusive and community-led wellness, and the Leeds branch is designed to work as part of everyday city life rather than a destination retreat. The interior reflects that approach, with polished details that make the space feel welcoming rather than intimidating, from the railway-arch setting to softer furnishings and lighting. Free sessions were offered over the opening weekend, giving first-time visitors a low-barrier way in.

The Leeds opening also extends a model already tested in Manchester, where Kontrast says it operates from a railway arch near Angel Meadows and describes itself as the UK’s first sauna and ice bath cafe. The company has said it wants to bring recurring events such as its ambient DJ set Unwind and weekly run club to Leeds, alongside the cafe and plunge format that helped shape its brand in Manchester.

The site was approved by Leeds City Council on 18 March 2026, with The Sauna Club Ltd named as the applicant. The scheme is expected to employ eight staff, and the planning officer’s report said it could support local economic growth, jobs and skills provision while adding activity and vitality to the area. Kontrast’s jobs page also pointed to the small-scale, service-led nature of the operation, with recruitment for a general manager and a host-barista on solo working shifts and weekend availability. Under the arch at Saxton Gardens, that mix of coffee, sauna heat and cold water has turned a niche recovery ritual into something Leeds can now do on a normal day out.