The recent publication of the quarterly RAJAR radio listening figures has shown that the BBC's classical music station Radio 3 achieved its highest level of listeners for a decade.

Growth

The figures covered the period 30th December 2024 — 30th March 2025, with Radio 3 capturing 2.15 million listeners of the 31.4 million listeners who tuned into BBC radio station broadcasts.

It was the fifth consecutive quarter of listener growth. Classic FM meanwhile hit over 4.5 million listeners with Scala Radio around 176,000.

Station of the Year

The success has come following the appointment of former Classic FM's Sam Jackson as Controller in 2023, whilst Radio 3 was also crowned 'Station of the Year' at the recent annual Audio and Radio Industry Awards.

Kate Phillips, Interim Chief Content Officer, said at the event: "…this well-deserved win celebrates everything that's so wonderful about the station — its dedication to live performance, unparalleled support for new artists and focus on championing British music alongside unearthing lesser-known works.

All this, brought to life by expert teams and skilled, passionate presenters."

this well-deserved win celebrates everything that's so wonderful about the station — its dedication to live performance, unparalleled support for new artists and focus on championing British music alongside unearthing lesser-known worksRadio 3

Brass band links

As the biggest commissioner of new music in the UK, Radio 3 recently showcased its '25 for 25: Sounds of a Century' — 25 new commissions written by some of the most influential composers of our time.

These included works by composers who have written for the brass band medium, including Errollyn Wallen (2012 — London Olympics), Thea Musgrave (2022 — Death of Queen Elizabeth II), Gavin Higgins (2015 — End of deep coal mining in UK) and Jasper Dommett (2007 — the emergence of the smartphone)

The first episode of a new 10 part Radio 3 series 'Brass Banding with Hannah Peel' was aired on 27th April and will be included in the next round of listener figures for the station.