If laughter is the best medicine, Sauna Comedy is a miracle worker for New Yorkers

If laughter is the best medicine, as people say, then “Sauna Comedy” offers an extra-strength dose you won’t find over the counter — and it’ll make you sweat out whatever ails you.

Dubbed the “hottest comedy show in the world,” Sauna Comedy brings the heat with fiery jokes and steam sessions reaching upwards of 160 degrees.

The untraditional platform is the brainchild of a team of five friends who co-founded Othership, a sauna and ice bath spa established in Toronto in 2022. The owners followed Canuck comics, Andrew Packer and Marc-Anthony Sinagoga on Instagram and pitched them the idea.

“We looked at each other and we’re thinking, hot room comedy? This will never work,” Packer said.

But work it did, and when Othership launched their first New York location on W. 20th Street last summer, they brought the out-of-the-box comedy show with them.

“We realized that when people are in the heat and cold, they loosen up both physically and emotionally,” said Robbie Bent, one of Othership’s co-founders who, along with his team, focuses on sober wellness. “We also wanted to create nights out that weren’t about alcohol or technology. When we tested it out, the energy was immediate and comedy quickly became a natural extension of our belief that wellness can be communal, expressive, and fun.”

Gaston Olsen, one of the guides at Othership Flatiron, guides people through the cold plunge with drums and breathwork.Photo ET Rodriguez

After half-clad guests are seated, a host introduces each comic for an eight-minute set, and after approximately 20 minutes in the sweltering room, it’s time for a dip. The audience is broken up into groups and take turns plunging into cold tubs with temperatures ranging from 32 to 40 degrees. A guide beats a drum to help people control their breath while they submerge in the chilly waters, then it’s back into the sauna for more laughs.

“Having someone to guide you through that experience, it kind of gets your energy up, especially when you’re in the cold plunge,” said Camryn Glendon, who attended the show with a friend and found Sauna Comedy on TikTok.

For those who have been to a comedy show, they know it requires a lot of energy, movement and talking from the stand-ups, literally the antithesis of what one should do when faced with oppressive heat.

“[The hardest thing] I think it’s partly like your mouth getting dry and your throat getting dry because I use a lot of voices in my act,” Che Durena told amNewYork. Known for his raunchy humor, this is the third Sauna Comedy for the Toronto-based comic. “You’ve got to watch your footing. I move around a lot and I have an act where I run and I did the joke and I realized I couldn’t run, but I’m already in. So, I had to do what I could with it. It still got a good reaction.”

Durena added he enjoyed the freedom of using both hands, to which other comics in the room nodded in agreement. Whereas a traditional stand-up venue utilizes hand-held microphones, at Othership, comedians are equipped with headsets.

“It’s like training with weights on or something,” Liz Glazer said of performing in the smothering space. The award-winning comic hosted the November show, typically hosted by Andrew Packer who instead, took to the “stage” alongside Durena, Kaneez Surka and Ian Lara.

“My brain was like shutting off a little bit,” Surka said, who joked about being from India and used to the stifling heat.

Comedy goers take in the cold plunge at Othership. Some easier than others.Photo ET Rodriguez

The comedy is not only hilarious, but aims caters to the growing temperance movement of the generation and swaps out the two-drink minimum for complimentary hot teas.

A 2025 poll by Gallup illustrated that not only are Americans drinking less, but more than half believe drinking is bad for your health. The poll followed a study published by the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health which reported 5.6% of cancer cases and 4.0% of cancer deaths in the U.S. were attributed to alcohol consumption.

“It’s a space for the sober, sober-curious or anyone wanting a different kind of night out,” Bent added.

Sauna Comedy performs monthly with their next show on Monday, Dec. 15, at their Williamsburg, Brooklyn location, which opened this fall. Tickets are $64 and for newbies, the price includes one week access to their spas.