English Language Broadcast

Every year, the small town of Peralejos de las Truchas becomes the capital of rock music... Particularly, Bruce Springsteen's music! Every summer, the town hosts an unmissable event for all Bruce Springsteen's fans. The "Greetings from Peralejos" festival is celebrating its 11th edition this year. To tell us how this small town in the region of Castilla la Mancha ended up hosting one of the four festivals dedicated to "the Boss" in Europe, we are joined by culture councellor Almudena Berzosa. Also in this broadcast, we learn about a new type of tourism that is slowly but steadily making its way in Spain: genealogy tourism. Judith Armegou, head of communication and social media at TurisGen joined us to tell us more. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast we learn about the new measures implemented by the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain to promote inclusivity and accessibility in the Spanish film industry. Pablo Romero, expert in accessibility, joined us to tell us more. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast we learn about two festivities which have been designated as "Fiesta" of International Tourist Interest. One of the most important distinctions awarded to a festival in our country. First, we learn about the "Otoño Mágico" from the Ambroz Valley, with Diego Curto Portela, manager at DIVA, the Association for the Comprehensive Development of the Ambroz Valley. A festivity that puts the focus on nature and which received this recognition in 2024. And then, we speak with Raul Gómez, culture councilman in Catoira, about their Viking festival, the "Romería Vikinga". This festivity received the recognition as "Fiesta" of International Tourist Interest back in 2002. Escuchar audio

Spanish writer and poet Jorge López Llorentejust released his first poetry chapbook fully in English: "Dreamescapes". And he was kind enough to join us in Casa de la Radio, to tell us all about it! Escuchar audio

Research led by scientists from the Complutense University of Madrid has confirmed the spread of a gene that creates antibiotic resistant bacteria. Its presence has been identified in six countries and has been found in humans, animals and in the environment. To tell us more about this gene and the consequences of its expansion, we are joined by doctor Bruno González-Zorn, director of the study and Head of the Antimicrobial Resistance Unit at the Complutense University. Escuchar audio

The restoration process of the iconic Puerta de Alcalá has been awarded with the European Heritage Award 2025 by the Europa Nostra Federation. Since its construction in the 18th century, the gate has become a symbol of Madrid. But for a few months Madrilians and visitors had to go without it. The gate was covered in July of 2022 and it was reopened in December of 2024. This effort, however, was worth it since its restoration was recognized for combining "traditional craftsmanship and scientific analysis" "setting new standars for transparency, research and public engagement". To tell us more about this process, we are joined by Blanca Mora, Head of the Restoration and Cultural Heritage Service at Madrid's City Hall. Also in this broadcast, we learn about the routes of Catalan arquitecture, an initiative by the COAC, the College of Architects of Catalonia, with one of its creators Aureli Mora. Escuchar audio

The roots of Madrid's Municipal History Library date back to the year 1875. Since then, it has been located in different areas of the city until it reached its final and current location in the Condeduque Cultural Center. The evolution of this library has been a reflection of the evolution of the city and its people. With a collection of around 220,000 volumes, from the 15th to the 21st century, in its 150 years of history, it has become a reference institution and one of the most relevant libraries in the region. The exhibition "Madrid entre libros" gives us a look into the history of this library and showcases some of the most special volumes in its collection. Librarians Esther Valverde and Carmen Conde took us on a tour around the exhibit. And after that, we learn about the "Naval Battle" of the city of Vallecas. Escuchar audio

This June was the hottest June in Westen Europe since records began in 1961. And while on land we're suffering extreme heat, desperate for ways to cool down. this year, eyes are on the Mediterranean Sea. It's the sea that warms the fastest in the world. But this year, the Mediterranean got warmer much sooner: 5 to 7 degrees hotter than the usual temperature for June. We discuss this phenomenon with José Antonio López of the Spanish Meteorological Association and Justino Martínez of the Ocean Science Institute. Escuchar audio

he phrase "They just dont make them like they used to" has a whole lot of truth to it... The term 'planned obsolescence' refers to the idea that, when things are made, they're made to break after a period of time so that you'll have to buy more. Spain's Ministry of Consumer Affairs has recently proposed a new bill which would, among other things, target planned or programmed obsolesence with a series of measures... It's far from being approved, but we decided to take the opportunity to talk about planned obsolescence today, with Raquel Duque, of the Spanish Asociation of Consumer Rights. How could planned obsolescence be vanquished? Escuchar audio

The flowery courtyards or "patios" of Córdoba have become an emblem of the city. In fact, the yearly courtyard festival, celebrated during the month of May, was designated as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2012. Now, a videogame, allows us to navigate throught the streets of Córdoba, learn about its history and, of course, visit and take care of its patios. "Game of patios" is an initiative of Córdoba Digital Lab. Developer Gustavo Chico joined us in this broadcast to tell us more about this game! And after that, we learn about an innovative mosquito net that eliminates the malaria parasite with Janneth Rodrigues, researcher at GSK Spain. Escuchar audio

Spain's Institute of Tourism, Turespaña, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year! Founded in 1985 as the National Institute for Tourism Promotion, it adopted the commercial name Turespaña in 1988, and the official name Institute of Tourism in 1990. Currently it has a network of 33 offices abroad. For this very special year, they have planned a series of activities and events to celebrate Spain's success as a tourist destination and look into the coming years. Miguel Sanz, director general, is joining us today to tell us about the institute and its evolution in these four decades. Escuchar audio

Forest fires have already devastated more than 25 thousand hectares in Spain during this year, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. And fire season is just starting. In Tarragona, 18000 people were confined due to a fire that began on Monday and which has wrecked more than 3000 hectares. And last week, a forest fire in Lleida was catalogued as a "sixth generation" fire due to its speed and intensity. In today's broadcast, we learn about forest fires, their causes and possible prevention mechanisms with professor Ruben Laina. And after that, a groundbreaking discovery could change the chemotherapy protocols for cancer patients. Researchers from the National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) have discovered biomarkers that predict which patients will not respond to cancer chemotherapy. Geoff Macyntire and Joe Thompson told us how this method works. Escuchar audio

On this broadcast we will learn about "A line drawn or printed: six routes through Madrid". Writer Jayne Marshall's debut essay and story collection. A physical and emotional journey through reinvention, adventure and meaning with Madrid as its background. Jayne joined us here in Casa de la Radio to tell us more! And after that, we learn about Inventaland, a summer camp where children can have fun while also learning about STEM. Expansion manager, Sol Martire, told us about it. Escuchar audio

One hundred years ago the "Regional Costume Exhibition" showcased almost 4000 pieces of clothing and 348 regional costumes. An extraordinary success that planted the seed for what is now Madrid's Museum of Costume. Now, the museum goes back to its roots with the exhibition "Raices: 100 años cambiando el patrón de nuestra historia" (Roots: 100 years changing the pattern of our history). We visited the exhibition and learnt more about the history of the museum with curator Laura Jiménez. Escuchar audio

In July of 1965, The Beatles came to Spain in spite of the Francoist dictatorship's less than favourable feelings towards the British quartet... they were called 'long-haired degenerates' by the press at the time. The government was terrified of Beatlemania infecting Spaniards, making The Beatles' performances in Spain an exciting affair, but with underlying tensions felt by both the Spanish fans, and The Beatles themselves. Escuchar audio

In 2024, two thirds of the Spanish population breathed polluted air that exceeded the new legal limits set in December of last year. This implies huge risks to health and wellbeing for Spanish society. Even though Spain actually improved its airquality compared to 2023 the pre-pandemic years, but with changing regulations and worsening climate, it still isn't enough. Today we have on the broadcast Juan Bárcena of Ecologistas en Acción, the group that publishes a yearly report on Spain's air quality. Today we'll also go back in time to The Beatles' first and only performances in Spain, which took place on the 2nd and 3rd of July in 1965. Escuchar audio

International LGBT+ Pride day is celebrated on the 28th of June, in remembrance of the Stonewall Riots. But Pride is celebrated all through the month of June, and in some areas of Spain, the marches take place well into July. This year, alongside Pride, in Spain we also celebrate an anniversary: for 20 years have passed since Spain legalized same sex marriage. Spain was in fact the third country in the world to make same sex marriage legal (after the Netherlands and Belgium) , and the first to include adoption in same-sex marriages. In today's program, we're going to look back at that huge step taken by Spain in 2005, with Diego Lázaro, diversity and inclusion consultant. Escuchar audio

For centuries, women who stood out or rebelled against the role assigned to them by society were feared, envied and persecuted. Many of them were even accused of being a witch. The comicbook "¿Es una bruja? Mitos, mentiras y realidades" (Is she a witch? Myths, lies and reality) takes us on a journey through history to learn about where these accusations were coming from and the impact they had. Author Raquel Gu joined us to tell us more about it. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, we talk about a woman from the dawn of the invention of the camera. It could be argued that Julia Margaret Cameron was one of the first people to see that photography could be more than what it at first set out to be... One of the first people to think of photography as an art. We talk to María Santoyo, director of the PhotoEspaña photography festival, about the nineteenth century British photographer, on ocassion of an installation of her works being shown at Madrid's Teatro Real. Just in time for the theatre's 2025-2026 season, which includes Shakespearean works. After that... We pivot from art to food, and learn about the best jamón in the world, according to the Taste Atlasonline travel guide for traditional food, Señorío de Montanera. We'll hear from Mariola Vallejo, the Señorío de Montanera's export manager. Escuchar audio

The city of Madrid has been the subject of plenty of changes in the last decades. Changes reflected in its distribution, its buildings, its streets and in its people. "Stray cats" a collection of essays and anecdotes reflects this evolution seen through the eyes of 17 long-term foreign residents. John Dapolito was in charge of bringing these stories together and he joined us here, in Casa de la Radio, to tell us about them. He was joined by two of the authors: Joseph Candora and James Dyson. Escuchar audio