2026: after the seventh grape

1 January. The cava has (mostly) been drunk, the street sweepers have done their rounds, and somewhere around grape number seven we at The Sound Of The Costa all briefly thought: “this might not have been our best idea ever.”

For those who missed it: in Spain you eat twelve grapes on New Year’s Eve. One for each chime of the clock. For luck. And for a short moment of reflection when chewing and swallowing stop quite keeping pace with each other.

That moment fits surprisingly well with where The Sound Of The Costa is right now. Because this platform isn’t a one-night fireworks idea. But it isn’t finished either. And honestly: it doesn’t need to be.

Over the past year, things have been built. Content, rhythm, and a way of working in which things slowly find their place. Sometimes visibly, sometimes quietly in the background. And sometimes with a bit more patience than we first expected. What’s becoming clearer is this: The Sound Of The Costa isn’t just a radio station, nor a website with a few articles attached. What’s emerging here starts from the same view on life along the Costa — in music, in words, in images. Still partly separate, but moving in the same direction.

Along the way, there were discoveries you can’t plan for. That reach doesn’t grow by shouting louder, but by staying the course. That some articles find their audience effortlessly, while others — which we ourselves had high hopes for — remain quieter than expected. And that radio here is still deeply personal. Another important realisation: online work asks for trust — accepting that something sometimes needs time to land before it starts to move.

That “the Costa” isn’t one single place (and certainly not a single “target audience”), but a collection of lives that touch without following the same pace. And that making sharp choices often brings more than trying to please everyone.

No big conclusions. More like reminders.

And with that, direction. Gradually, that direction becomes a little clearer. Costa Blanca Radio will move along with that development in the period ahead, as The Sound Of The Costa continues to take shape. And we can already hint at this much: our horizon is about to widen — quite literally. You can follow that journey here on the website, and via our Facebook and Instagram channels.

Continuity matters more than speed. Attention more than haste.

For now, this is simply a moment to swallow. And then to continue. On to grape number eight.

We wish you a fantastic and healthy 2026.

A year in which the Costa may still give you goosebumps often enough — even in full sunshine.