Virgin Radio Rock streams French and international rock around the clock, mixing gold era classics with France's emerging rock scene. It is free to listen right now, anywhere in the world, no account required.
Born in Lyon as Virage Radio
This station did not start life under the Virgin name at all. It launched on May 13, 2009 as Virage Radio, taking over FM frequencies in the Rhône-Alpes region that had previously carried the Swiss station Couleur 3, according to Vikidia's history of the station. Owned by Espace Group, based in Lyon, Virage Radio built its identity as a 100 percent rock station from day one, broadcasting on 89.3 FM in Lyon, 89.4 in Grenoble, 89.9 in Chambéry and 99.9 in Chamonix.
A Name Change Fifteen Years Later
France's broadcasting regulator Arcom authorized Espace Group to rebrand Virage Radio as Virgin Radio, and the switch took effect at 4pm on April 15, 2024. That timing landed in an unusual spot in French radio history, since the Virgin Radio name had already passed through French airwaves once before under a completely different owner, Lagardère, which ran Virgin Radio from 2008 until reverting the network back to its original name, Europe 2, in 2023. Espace Group's Virgin Radio is a separate relaunch entirely, carrying the Virage Radio rock format and Lyon roots rather than any connection to the earlier Lagardère-run network.
What You'll Hear
The playlist mixes French and international rock, pairing established gold era tracks with names from France's current emerging rock scene, broadcast on FM across Rhône-Alpes and via DAB+ in major cities including Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Nice, Lille and Strasbourg.
How to Listen
Virgin Radio Rock streams free on Radio Shuffle. Press play above for French and international rock from a station rooted in Lyon.