Inselradio turns 30: An evening under orange flags in the Jardí

Inselradio turns 30: An evening under orange flags in the Jardí

Small gala in Palma, big open-air event at the weekend in Calvià

The scent of tapas, a glass of wine in hand and the muffled hum of the city in the background: that was the atmosphere on Monday evening at the Jardí de la Misericòrdia when Inselradio celebrated its thirtieth anniversary (Inselradio Christmas Market: Five Days of Christmas Scents in Front of the Studios). Not a huge festival, but an informal gathering of around a hundred invited guests from politics, media and business – a prelude to the big celebration scheduled for August 1 at Es Jardí in Calvià.

The choice of venue was no accident: the Jardí is one of Palma's green oases, with shady pines and views that reach the Paseo Marítimo. The organisers sent visible signals – long flags in the station's colours, subtle lighting – and the evening wound down with conversation and music. Dr. Jürn‑Hinnerk Fauteck, majority shareholder, and station director Daniel Vulić welcomed guests personally and used the opportunity to meet old companions before a crowd of more than a thousand is expected in Calvià.

Well-known island figures were on the guest list: Palma's mayor Jaime Martínez Llabrés offered the station his recognition, Radiodays representative Don Pieter Niegel congratulated them from the industry, and the outgoing German honorary consul Wolfgang Engstler presented an honorary certificate. From the local business community: winemaker Ramón Servalls of Macià Batle and real estate entrepreneurs Edith and Lutz Minkner, among others. People such as Egon Wellenbrink, Michael Alois‑Wagner, Mirtha Erhart‑Zimmerli and Birgit Büngeler rounded out the audience.

A moving retrospective was part of the evening. Vulić recalled how the project initially started in premises of the publishing group and, after several moves, found a home in Son Armadams, not far from the Paseo Marítimo. He called the Corona period the most difficult phase for the station, but also emphasised the joy of making radio on Mallorca for three decades – a medium that brings listeners on the island together.

A special moment was the honouring: Paula Serra, responsible for audiovisual communication at the Serra media group, received a silver microphone in recognition. Such gestures are more than spotlights; they show how closely media, culture and local businesses are intertwined on Mallorca. At the following standing reception with tapas and cool drinks, old stories were unearthed, plans were forged and the evening light over Palma was enjoyed.

Why is this good for Mallorca? A radio station that has been broadcasting for thirty years is more than a voice from the studio: it creates spaces for encounters, strengthens cultural ties between German- and Spanish-speakers and gives local providers a stage, as with other island gatherings like Siurells 2025: A Joyful Evening at Son Termes – Applause for Sport, Culture and Social Engagement. For the coming days, the big open-air in Calvià also means a small, short-term economic boost for caterers, technical firms and gastronomy – and of course an invitation for people from across the island to take part.

The scene on Monday was typically Mallorcan: a babble of voices, the occasional chirp of cicadas, here and there the clinking of cutlery. Later, when the lights came on, the celebration lingered for a long time – not only because of the music, but because of the intertwined memories of 30 years of radio history on the island.

Outlook: Anyone who wants to attend the open-air at Es Jardí in Calvià should expect a larger audience; organisers are expecting several thousand visitors. Such meeting places are important for Mallorca – they keep the island's cultural pulse beating and bring people together who might otherwise live side by side rather than with one another.

A little wink at the end: in Mallorca people like to celebrate big – and when Inselradio marks its thirty years with an open-air and orange flags, that's exactly the kind of summer celebration that goes down well here, much like other landmark evenings such as Ritzi turns 20: A Harbour Evening of Champagne, Sea Air and Old Friends.