With less than two months to go until MAD7, we’re sending a little anticipatory treat out into the world. Our first podcast, MAD Talks, featuring René Redzepi, chef of noma and founder of MAD, in conversation with some of our most iconic past Symposium speakers.
From Harold McGee, the influential writer who taught a generation of chefs about the science of cooking, to activist Ron Finley, who turned a fine for illegally growing vegetables into a guerrilla gardening movement, to musician Nina Persson, whose voice helped make The Cardigans one of the biggest pop bands of the ‘90s, the guests on MAD Talks reflect on pivotal moments in their careers, unpack the evolution of their work since speaking on the MAD stage, and offer listeners a glimpse into the future they hope to build. Guiding them all—and extracting confessions about their deepest relationships with food—is Redzepi, in his debut as podcast host.
The first episode, which drops on April 7, features Magnus Nilsson, the chef and author who earned two Michelin stars and many other accolades, for his ground-breaking restaurant in northern Sweden, Fäviken. After speaking at the inaugural MAD Symposium in 2011, Nilsson joins Redzepi once again to reflect on the experiences of opening and closing that restaurant, and the unexpected turns his career has taken since. And like all guests on MAD Talks, he explores what building to last—the theme of the next MAD Symposium—means to him.
MAD Talks releases a new episode every Monday in the lead up to the seventh edition of MAD Symposium (MAD7) on May 25-26, 2025. All episodes are introduced by MAD’s Executive Director, Melina Shannon-Di Pietro, and are available on streaming services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and more.