Chloe MooreThis International Women’s Day, Raidió na Life is once again dedicating an entire weekend to celebrating women in music, broadcasting, and beyond.
Running for the third year in a row, the station will be live from 14:00 on Friday, March 7th, until 07:00 on Sunday, March 9th, featuring an all-female and FLINTA (Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Non-Binary, Trans, and Agender) lineup of DJs, musicians, and voices.
Listeners can expect an electric mix of sounds from a diverse range of artists, with sets from talent spanning across Ireland and beyond. Some of the highlighted names include Berlin-based Síoda Rua, South African-Irish DJ K-Lah, and the Shimmer Collective’s Casio, One Can Chan, and Katma. Four/Four’s Shiv, Galway’s Hannah Hession, DJ Babyguinness, RJ the DJ, DJGetLuc(y) from New York, Keeva G, Saz, Reflekta, and Cork’s Mejmi will also feature. Additionally, Dublin’s Minikimono and Raidió na Life residents Katarzyna Columby, Sinéad Scully, and Fiona Ní Gaibhín will take to the airwaves alongside the youngest DJ of the event, 12-year-old Amelia O’Shea from Cork.
A standout feature of the celebrations, Seisiún na mBan, returns with a stellar lineup on Friday and Saturday nights from 21:00 until early morning. The series, which champions FLINTA artists at all stages of their careers, provides a platform for both rising stars and established performers, creating a vibrant space for expression on community radio.
In its first year, Seisiún na mBan coincided with Raidió na Life’s 30th anniversary, featuring performances from Yasmin Gardezi, MELTX, Puzzy Wrangler, MAV666, Bumblebee, and Sally Cinnamon, among others. The second year saw a lineup including Aoife Nic Canna, KBob, Ezzie Vara, and Jenn Hession.
Beyond radio, Seisiún na mBan has made waves at festivals and club nights, debuting at Electric Picnic with performances from poets and artists like Larabel and Roísín Nic Gearailt. Their Dublin debut at Electric Circus paid homage to the Disco Demolition of 1979, while their Belfast launch at Studió Rúnda showcased hyper-pop producer Tailtiú. Most recently, they hosted a charity event at the SoundHouse featuring a mix of DJs and performers from the series.
The movement traces its origins back to 2016 in the former Raidió na Life studios on Amiens Street, with inspiration from pioneering FLINTA-led collectives such as Gash Collective, founded by Lolz (Laura O’Connell) and Ellll (Ellen King). This year, Gash Collective will be represented in the lineup once again, with their DJ taking the decks on Saturday night.