Helsingborg’s 2026 Cold Bath Week Expands

Thanks to great interest, the 2026 Cold Bath Week has been extended to eleven days. The program is filled with a variety of activities, and the tickets for the different bathing sessions go on sale on October 3rd. The extension allows visitors arriving on the final weekend to also experience Helsingborg's major light festival, Drömljus (Dream Lights).

There is a growing interest in cold bathing both in Sweden and abroad. The Cold Bath Week has become a recurring feature in Helsingborg's winter calendar, and the city has an ambition to further develop the event.

– The Cold Bath Week shows that Helsingborg is bubbling even when the thermometer shows below zero. This is an event that not only attracts attention but also creates new reasons to travel and collaborations. The cold baths are an important driver for winter tourism that keeps the city alive all year round, says Anette Lindstrup, business developer, City of Helsingborg.

This year's theme pays tribute to the Nordic pause by the sea. A Nordic winter calm where the ocean meets culture, where cold dips meet warming sauna baths, and where human encounters create a break from everyday life. Stop, breathe in the salty water, and feel the life in your body.

– Cold bathing is more than a dip in the ocean; it is a break for both body and soul. Research confirms what cold bathers already know: that cold dips combined with sauna strengthens the immune system, reduces stress, and provides new energy. It is a simple way to feel better, year-round, says Mia Jansson, cold bath ambassador, City of Helsingborg.

Program and Content

The Cold Bath Week continues to reinforce the historical roots and health benefits of cold baths through inspiring lectures, strengthening activities, and community by the ocean. As in previous years, there will be traditional baths, aufguss shows, guided beginner dips, and exciting human encounters.

New Features This Year

Ice Walk – Together with Roger Huerta, 2025 Swedish Champion in classic aufguss, participants will experience how Nordic natural elements can strengthen both body and soul. During the event, participants are coached in an Ice Walk Challenge where they walk along the coast in swimwear and focus on breathing and body exercises where warmth comes from within. This is followed by a 60-minute sauna ritual that fouses on the spiritual aspect of health.

Sauna Tent – Under the leadership of Niklas Rasmussen and Tobias Johansson from the Swedish Aufguss Society, participants can enjoy a wood-fired sauna in sauna tents at Gröningen. The activity alternates between sauna and cold dips in the Öresund.

Fairy Tale Sauna – In the fairy tale sauna, participants are invited to a meditative moment where several senses are activated by listening to Nordic stories, fairy tales, or poetry, while the sauna is otherwise silent. Essential oils and water are poured onto the sauna stones to enhance the experience, and the lighting is dimmed.

For those who want to combine cold baths with other Helsingborg experiences, it is also possible to book separate activities such as:

- A guided city walk
- Two women on a bathing adventure – A cultural historical walk at Fredriksdal Museums and Gardens
- Royal afternoon tea with a guided tour of Sofiero Castle

Helsingborg is Sweden’s Cold Bath Destination

Helsingborg is unique with its three cold bathhouses. In recent years, the city has established itself as one of Sweden’s leading cold bath destinations, not least by organizing the Cold Bath Week.

Sales of bathing passes begins Friday, October 3rd on kallbadsveckan.se.

For more information about the Cold Bath Week, please contact:
Anette Lindstrup, business developer, tourism, City of Helsingborg

Email: anette.lindstrup@helsingborg.se Mobile: +46 732 31 57 99