Presenting a world premiere: Over a period of six days, the world’s first International Radio Festival will celebrate a selection of the very best radio music programmes and shows from metropolis’ spanning the four corners of the globe; from London to Berlin, Nairobi to New York, and Bangalore to Shanghai, the International Radio festival will offer audiences around the globe the chance to “listen how the world sounds”.

More than 20 famous FM, DAB and Internet radio broadcasters are being flown to Zurich to enable their participation in the festival, featuring some of the world’s most popular, witty and entertaining radio jockeys and presenters, who will show case some of the best music programmes, presented in their own native style and mother tongue.

Behind this initiative stand Miguel Alvarez and Oliver Scotoni, both of Rundfunk.FM fame and now in its tenth year; the team is complemented by Darryl von Däniken with a background spanning international entertainment & event management.

Festival Director Miguel Alvarez says: “Over the past few years we went through great lengths to sift through hundreds of radio stations, listening to their music programmes in order to pick out the crème de la crème of what was on offer. Wherever our research took us, we were met with continuous enthusiasm about the idea of an International Radio Festival, and were without exception encouraged to bring it to life. And so we are proud to have finally been able to realise the project, here in Zurich. Our efforts have enabled over 20 radio cultures to be heard at one single place, where all share the same language and passion, namely: Radio!“

The International Radio Festival will broadcast its radio line-up live out of its own temporary studio situated in the Papiersaal in Zurich’s Sihlcity, transmitting via its own FM frequencies covering the metropolitan area of Zurich 24/7 on FM88.2FM and FM95.7, as well as via the internet, around the globe.

The International Radio Festival’s temporary studio and bar is open to the general public every day from 5pm onwards, transforming it into the meeting place of the week during the time of the festival, allowing guests a rare over-the-shoulder opportunity to observe how radio is produced by some of the world’s leading radio stations, and from 11pm onwards, dance the night away into the early hours.

Miguel Alvarez adds: “We are not "just another Music Festival", but far more a cosmopolitan cultural platform where a variety of urban sub- and pop cultures can be experienced at one single point, and our vision is to create an annual international platform for the radio industry to meet, exchange ideas and leverage their combined presence and know-how within an increasingly crowded media world

“That video killed the radio star is absolute nonsense” says festival partner Darryl von Däniken, responsible for media and marketing. “Radio is more alive than ever and remains one of the most consumed mediums in the world. Radio constantly re-invents itself, not least thanks to digital media. The International Radio Festival offers the radio industry a platform for face to face meetings, to share their experiences and ideas, and thus mutually inspire each other in the ongoing development of radio. Recently a radio presenter asked us: “So, you want to become the WEF of radio?”.... what else could we answer other than: “Of course we do!“

Zurich, as a truly cosmopolitan and visitor friendly city, offering some of the best and safest living standards in the world, with direct connections to most of the world’s important metropolises, represents the perfect location for such a ground breaking new event.