On 5 September 2025, Pride Leiden marked its third edition, turning the city into a colourful and wonderfully chaotic mosaic of queer joy. To celebrate Maxi Radio joined into the festivities with a Pride special that blended celebration, activism, and the station’s trademark dose of lovingly curated oddities.

Our amazing programmer Malan invited a dazzling selection of underground queer artists—OC Parietal, Toverteef, Dooom & DD, Kaikaina, DJ Tonic, MXV, Sciatica, and CyberFairy777/CDJ-666—each bringing their own mischievous magic to the studio. Together, they took over the airwaves for ten uninterrupted hours, offering blissful tracks, unexpected sonic twists, and the kind of musical craziness that only emerges in a space powered by curiosity.

Instead of relying on familiar Pride anthems, the lineup dove deep into the queer underground: shimmering synths, skewed rhythms, dreamy vocals, abrasive experiments, soft glitches; tracks that felt just as at home pulsating through smoky basements as drifting across sunlit spontaneous canal-side gatherings.

Throughout the day, visitors drifted into the Maxi Radio studio to soak up the atmosphere, meanwhile, the city centre buzzed with Pride energy: the boat parade wound through the canals, and the crowd spilled into the various street parties and the official afterparty at the Lammermarkt.

We felt blissful welcoming these amazing artists and can’t wait to celebrate Pride Leiden next year!

Check out all recordings in our playlist beneath this article. 

https://on.soundcloud.com/YFVnFS4y0bcK0xKLEC

Pride Leiden


Five years of underground sounds, late-night discoveries, community-powered radio, and friendships that reach far beyond the airwaves.
This June, Maxi Radio celebrates its fifth anniversary with a three-day program dedicated to everything the station stands for: independent culture, forward-thinking music, creative experimentation, and the community that has made it all possible.
From a 48-hour online streaming marathon to conversations about Leiden's nightlife, a club night at Wibar, and an immersive audiovisual experience at Hortus Botanicus Leiden, the anniversary weekend brings together artists, listeners, residents, collaborators, and friends from across the Maxi Radio universe.


The celebrations begin with a 48-hour non-stop streaming marathon broadcast live from the Maxi Radio studio. Across two continuous days of programming, residents, guest hosts, DJs, artists, and longtime supporters of the station will take over the airwaves, creating a snapshot of the vibrant community that has grown around Maxi Radio over the past five years.

DJ BAMI, Bobby Speedo, Buuk Los, Eileen, Aimer, Eyes Wide Shut, DJ Serko, Miauw3000, Hazel, Litricity, LeBagig, Nina de Koning, 7Level7, Ravetheef, Discotheef, THB, Dr Dark, HOT CUES, Jonas Nuane, Droom, SCK, DexKers, WSL, marienus, L-aura, Daansplaten, Justonemorerecord, Clarence, Paco & Molly, Bella Stone, Hunter, H.E.R., Jessiy b2b Pagie, Koutouras, Nederlands Elftal, Tosh, AIS, O'Riordan, Aram Mukanay and the Maxi Radio DJs.
Forty artists, DJs, collectives, and friends of the station across 48 continuous hours of broadcasting.
Expect everything from deep listening sessions and ambient explorations to house, disco, acid, Italo, drum & bass, and unexpected musical detours.


After two days of radio, it's time to step onto the dancefloor.
The anniversary club night at Wibar brings together local legends, residents, and close friends of the station for a carefully curated journey through dreamy house, pumping disco, crispy acid, and euphoric Italo.
The entire club night will be broadcast live via Maxi Radio, connecting dancers in the room with listeners tuning in from elsewhere.
Circadian Rhythm at Hortus Botanicus Leiden
On Sunday, Maxi Radio joins Midzomernacht at Hortus Botanicus Leiden with Circadian Rhythm, an audiovisual ambient experience inspired by the natural rhythms shared by humans and plants.
Set among the gardens of the Hortus, visitors will be guided from sunset into the shortest night of the year through ambient soundscapes, subtle light installations, and organic visual art. By combining electronic music, botanical inspiration, and immersive scenography, Circadian Rhythm creates a collective moment of reflection and transition between day and night.
The performance will be professionally recorded and broadcast through Maxi Radio's channels.



Supporting the Future of Independent Radio


Since its founding in 2021, Maxi Radio has operated entirely through volunteers, a DIY mentality, and the dedication of a growing community of artists, listeners, and cultural workers.
To help secure the future of the station, Maxi Radio will launch a crowdfunding campaign through Voordekunst during the anniversary weekend. The campaign will support future broadcasts, events, artist development, technical improvements, and new opportunities for emerging talent.
All proceeds generated during the anniversary celebrations will contribute directly to this campaign.




This anniversary is also about more than just radio. It is a celebration of the friendships that formed around the station, the risks that were taken, the artists who found a platform, the listeners who kept tuning in, and the countless volunteers who helped build something meaningful together.
For five years, Maxi Radio has provided a home for people operating outside the mainstream. A place for experimentation, discovery, and connection.
We can’t feel more blessed and thankful for the adventure thusfar, but there’s a lot more to come!
48 hours of radio. 3 days of celebration. 5 years of Maxi Radio.
See you on air, on the dancefloor, and around the city!

5 Year Anniversary

Celebrating International Womxn’s Day on Maxi Radio

 Maxi Radio brought together a powerful line-up of DJs for a special broadcast celebrating creativity, community, and the many sounds shaping underground music culture today. Curated by Maxi Radio programmer Eileen, the show highlighted a diverse group of artists, each bringing their own energy and perspective to the station.

From soulful grooves to hard club sounds, the programme moved across genres and tempos while staying connected through one common thread: celebrating womxn in music.

, who blended afrobeats, groovy disco, and bass-heavy baile funk into an uplifting and rhythm-driven selection. Moving effortlessly between warm melodies and high-energy percussion, the set created a vibrant atmosphere full of movement and joy.

 followed with an all-vinyl journey honouring International Womxn’s Day through sound. Her set explored voices, stories, and emotions across time and space, creating a deeply soulful listening experience rooted in connection and care.

 then took listeners into darker and deeper territory with an eclectic electronic set balancing soul, percussion, and hypnotic rhythms. Warm grooves met playful energy and textured club sounds, showcasing her distinctive approach to storytelling through music.

 delivered exactly that. Returning to Maxi Radio for a special International Womxn’s Day appearance, the duo brought their hardest club bangers to the airwaves. Bold, playful, and unapologetically fun, their set captured the spirit of the dancefloor at full intensity.

 brought a dynamic blend of bounce, groove, and silliness all the way from Wales to Leiden. Her large and energetic sound added another exciting dimension to the programme, proving that club music can be both powerful and playful at the same time.

 combined trance, bounce, and hard house into a groovy high-energy set that pushed the momentum forward. Fast-paced yet full of feeling, the mix perfectly rounded off a day dedicated to celebrating womxn behind the decks.

At Maxi Radio, we believe community radio should create space for diverse voices, emerging talent, and creative freedom. This International Womxn’s Day programme was a celebration of exactly that — a reminder of the importance of representation in music spaces and the incredible artists continuing to shape club culture today.

A huge thank you to all DJs, listeners, and everyone who tuned in and supported the broadcast.

International Womxn's Day

Maxi Radio is a Leiden-based independent online radio station, founded in 2020. We strive to broadcast a wide variety of live shows, ranging from Japanese jazz to Detroit techno and locally produced ambient music, and everything in between. Our programme features local, national and international DJs, artists and guest speakers, all of whom bring their own distinct taste and voice for our listeners to enjoy.

Our mission is to provide an accessible platform for cultural development, connection and discovery, while building a strong local music community in our beautiful city of Leiden. We are committed to creating opportunities for emerging local talent and see ourselves as a launchpad where new DJs, musicians, radio makers and creatives can develop their skills, gain visibility and connect with wider audiences.

At Maxi Radio, we are driven by the ambition to strengthen Leiden’s cultural landscape through a diverse range of activities. Through online broadcasting, carefully curated club nights, inspiring collaborations and engaging podcasts, we continuously contribute to the growth of the local cultural environment. We also actively create themed broadcasts and special programming around topics that matter to our community, including Leiden Pride, International Women’s Day, science, culture and other social issues. By combining music, dialogue and local engagement, we aim to foster a vibrant, inclusive and forward-looking cultural platform for Leiden and beyond.

For the past five years, Maxi Radio has been a home for underground music, local talent, creative experimentation, and community. Built entirely through passion, dedication, and countless volunteer hours, we've created a platform where emerging DJs, artists, and music lovers can connect, discover, and grow together.

Now, we're asking for your support to help keep Moxie Radio online for the next five years!

Maxi Radio is entirely DIY and runs on the dedication of volunteers, creators, and supporters. With only limited support from the local municipality, it is a constant challenge to stay financially afloat. Our future depends on the support of our community, which is why every donation makes a real and immediate difference.

Why will your donation make a difference?

With your donation, we can invest in new DJ equipment, improve our broadcasting setup, organise more events, and create even more opportunities for local artists and our community. Most importantly, your support allows us to continue giving back to the people who have made Maxi Radio what it is today.

Whether you've listened to a show, played on the station, danced at one of our events, or simply believe in independent culture, your contribution will make a real difference.

Help us keep Maxi Radio independent, accessible, and thriving for another five years. Together, we can continue building a space for underground sounds, creative freedom, and community connection.

Aisling, Cas, Chris, Dirk, Eileen, Emer, Isabelle, Jesse, Julius, Luuk, Marius, Matthijs, Mitch, Pepijn, Sam, Siem, Stijn, Tjeu, Tobias, Vi, Yorrick en Jari

Pride Leiden

Pride Leiden Special