2026 Aufguss USA Nationals
Aufguss USA Nationals return to Bathhouse in New York with expanded qualification paths into the Aufguss World Championships.
Next dates to be announced
Annual, late spring, at Bathhouse venues in New York. The details below are from the most recent edition, May 19–21, 2026.
- Dates
- Last held May 19–21, 2026
- Place
- Bathhouse (Brooklyn and Flatiron)New York, NY
- Organizer
- Aufguss World Masters
- Type
- AufgussIn person
- Official site
- aufgussusa.com (opens in a new tab)
The 2026 Aufguss USA Nationals run May 19 to 21 across Bathhouse's Brooklyn and Flatiron locations in New York. This is the first year US Nationals have expanded qualification into the Aufguss World Championships, which means strong US finishers can advance directly to the global playoff rounds rather than going through a European qualifier.
Why Bathhouse
Bathhouse told CNBC in March 2026 that it expected about $120 million in run-rate revenue by the end of the year. The company has signaled plans to expand to roughly eight more US locations. Hosting Nationals two years in a row pulls the global competitive circuit directly into the US social-sauna scene.
What the field looks like
This is also the first clean public test of US practitioner depth. If the field is strong, the supply-side constraint on the category is loosening faster than skeptics expected. If it is thin, the US still depends on European-trained Sauna Masters and the training pipeline remains the bottleneck.
Results
The 2026 Aufguss USA Nationals concluded May 21 with new champions crowned across all three categories. Design for Leisure was the organizing sponsor, Bathhouse the venue partner, and Harvia the Platinum Sponsor and Official Sauna Partner.
Team Show Aufguss: First place Alexi Irvine and Joli Irvine. Second place Tovi Wayne and Alonzo Solorzano. Runners-up Breana Marshall and Muhammad "Mo" Hodge.
Solo Show Aufguss: First place Tovi Wayne. Second place Travis Talmadge. Runner-up Alonzo Solorzano.
Modern Classic Cup (inaugural): First place Travis Talmadge. Second place TJ Lupo. Runner-up Tovi Wayne.
First and second place Show Aufguss finishers qualified directly for the 2026 Aufguss WM Finals at Satama Sauna Resort in Germany (September 13 to 20). Third place finishers advance to the Playoffs at Thermen Bussloo in the Netherlands (August 26 to 29). Modern Classic Cup competitors advance along the international pathway to the Modern Classic Cup Finals at Farris Bad in Norway (October 1 to 4).
For the broader commercial context on why US operators are investing in Aufguss in the first place, see our analysis of the business of Aufguss.
