Lumpen Radio Special: The Live Frequency: Verse & Vision   Lumpen Radio presents a special live broadcast experience recorded before an in-person audience at Co-Prosperity, bringing listeners and attendees together for a landmark evening of cultural dialogue and performance. The Live Frequency: Verse & Vision gathers four of Chicago’s most distinguished literary figures—avery r. young, […]

Lumpen Radio + Marz Brewing Run to the Mothership: A Mother’s Day 5K Sunday, May 10th @ 10:00AM   It’s a benefit for the non-profit Lumpen Radio, a project of the Public Media Institute. Our DJs and staff are training our way into the Chicago Marathon this year! Join us and learn more about Lumpen Radio– […]

Peace, Love & Beats • Host: B4Lasers & UniqMoniq • 3rd Sundays • 12PM – 2PM @B4Lasers & @MrsB4Lasers Peace, Love & Beats is a curated radio experience rooted in instrumental hip-hop, beat culture, and intentional listening. Hosted by B4Lasers and UniqMoniq, the show features carefully selected music, unreleased gems, and thoughtful moments that prioritize […]

  Thank you for kicking it with us at the 10th Anniversary party! We hope you enjoyed jamming out, eating tacos, screen printing your own shirts, visiting the renovated studio, recording your voices for the radio, and hanging out with the community. Ten years ago, Lumpen Radio launched as an experiment in community-powered broadcasting: a […]

Celebrate 10 Years of Lumpen Radio!   Join us as we celebrate 10 years of Lumpen Radio, A decade of Low Power Airwaves to the people.    Launched in 2016 by Public Media Institute, Lumpen Radio (WLPN-LP 105.5 FM) has spent the past decade amplifying the voices, music, and stories that rarely make it onto […]

As 2025 comes to a close, we at Lumpen Radio want to thank you for another amazing year!    2025 has been a transformative year for Lumpen Radio, one driven by community knowledge, artistic collaboration, collective joy, and resistance. We are endlessly grateful to our hosts, DJs, volunteers, partners, and listeners for tuning in, showing […]

Join Lumpen Radio at the 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon • October 11, 2026   Lumpen Radio (WLPN-LP 105.5FM) is Chicago’s independent radio station dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices and stories. We provide a platform for artists, activists, youth reporters, cultural workers, and multilingual communities to share music, journalism, and conversations that rarely reach […]

Lumpen Radio is always excited to create more community-centered projects! One of our newest projects we’re proud to launch is Deep Cuts at Life on Marz!   Lumpen Radio would like to invite you to our Thursday nightly gatherings (6-8pm) hosted at Life on Marz Community Club (1950 N Western Ave.) They’ll be completely open […]

South Side Weekly and Lumpen Radio present: “The Memory Project”   A hybrid radio and print series featuring the voices of longtime Chicagoans. The Memory Project explores Chicago’s past, present, and future through an ongoing collection of oral histories and narratives with longtime Chicago residents. Our first cohort includes voices like Ed Marszewski, Lee Bey, […]

Exciting Announcement!   Lumpen Radio has been selected for Alliance Matters, an editorial collaboration between CIMA members focused on their audiences and our city’s vibrant local media community, funded in part by the Field Foundation. Alliance Matters builds on Chicago’s rich tradition of collaborative, community-driven storytelling. We look forward to sharing exciting content, events, and […]