Kontrast brings sauna and ice bath culture to Angel Meadow

Hot and cold therapy has become one of the biggest wellbeing trends of recent years, and Kontrast has helped bring it into the everyday lives of Mancunians. The venue sits on Dantzic Street, tucked away behind Angel Meadow Park on the northern edge of the city centre.

The idea came from owner Jamie Smith, who was inspired to open the venue after a trip to Taiwan. The aim was to bring the hot and cold therapy experienced there to Manchester, giving the city a dedicated place to try the ritual of moving between intense heat and bracing cold.

Kontrast opened in autumn 2024, announced by Manchester Wire as a sauna and ice bath café. Launch coverage described three saunas, including an infrared one, and three ice baths, with sessions designed around alternating between the heat and the cold plunge. Later coverage described two saunas, an infrared room and multiple ice baths, so the exact layout has evolved since opening, but the principle remains the same.

A later feature in Mancunian Matters described the space as a sauna café aiming to reheat Manchester's social life, offering an alternative to the usual nights out. The idea is simple: a place where friends can meet, talk and feel better, swapping rounds of drinks for rounds in the sauna.

The programme has grown to include classes as well as open sessions. Events listed online have included yoga, hot stretch and cold dip sessions, combining movement with the venue's core contrast therapy.

NOMA has included Kontrast in its round-up of the best health and wellness spaces in and around the neighbourhood, a sign of how quickly it has become part of the area's fabric. Its address, Unit 4 Millgate on Dantzic Street, puts it within easy walking distance of Victoria station and the bars and restaurants of the Northern Quarter.

Its success in Manchester has also opened a new chapter. In March 2026 Visit Leeds announced that Kontrast would be opening a Leeds site in Saxton Gardens that spring, following the popularity of the original venue.

Sessions and classes at Kontrast Manchester can be booked in advance online, and first-timers can expect guidance on how to enjoy the heat and cold safely.