Rai Radio 2 streams Italian and international pop hits alongside talk programming live from Italy, run by the country's public broadcaster RAI. It is free to listen right now, anywhere in the world, no account required.
Nearly a Century on the Air
Rai Radio 2 traces back to 21 March 1938, when the broadcaster then known as EIAR launched a second, separately programmed radio service for Italy's major cities, according to a history of the channel on Wikipedia. That service was renamed the Rete Azzurra in 1945, then the Secondo Programma in 1952 as part of a wider effort to give each RAI channel a distinct personality, before finally becoming Rai Radio 2 in 1975.
The Show That Became a Phenomenon
Few programs defined Rai Radio 2 more than Viva Radio 2, which ran from 2001 to 2008 with hosts Fiorello and Marco Baldini turning celebrity interviews and comic banter into appointment listening for Italians nationwide. The format proved so durable that it eventually crossed into television as Viva Rai2!, carrying Fiorello's live morning energy from radio into a TV studio and keeping the Radio 2 name in front of audiences who had never touched a radio dial.
Pop Music With a Talk Show Heartbeat
Where some RAI channels lean toward news or classical programming, Radio 2 has built its identity around pop music paired with variety and talk formats, mixing Italian chart hits with international pop and comic, conversational programming throughout the day. That combination has made the station a mainstay for listeners who want music without losing RAI's talk radio tradition entirely.
Part of Italy's Public Broadcasting Backbone
As one of RAI's core national radio channels, Radio 2 operates alongside Radio 1's news focus and Radio 3's cultural programming, giving Italy's public broadcaster a three-channel radio lineup built on distinct personalities going back to the 1952 rebrand. Radio 2 has held the pop and entertainment lane in that lineup for decades, carrying that identity into its current digital streams on RaiPlay Sound.
Listen to Rai Radio 2 Free on Radio Shuffle
Rai Radio 2 streams around the clock, and Radio Shuffle carries the feed live with nothing to install and no subscription required. Press play above for Italy's pop and talk channel, broadcasting in one form or another since 1938.