Record Store Day
April 2026:

When Is Record Store Day 2026?

Record Store Day 2026 falls on Saturday, April 18, 2026. This is the 19th annual celebration of independently owned record stores, and it lands on the third Saturday of April, as it does every year. Stores typically open early for the occasion, with many unlocking their doors between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., though there is no set national start time. Check with your local shop for their specific hours.

What Is Record Store Day?

If you have never been to a Record Store Day event, here is the short version. Record Store Day is a one-day, worldwide celebration of the independent record store. It was conceived in 2007 at a gathering of indie store owners and employees, and the first official event took place on April 19, 2008. The idea was simple: create a day that draws people into their local record shops the way Free Comic Book Day draws people into comic shops.

Every year, record labels and artists team up to release hundreds of exclusive, limited-edition vinyl pressings that are only available at participating independent record stores. You cannot buy them on Amazon. You cannot stream them. You have to show up in person. That is the entire point.

Today, Record Store Day has participating stores on every continent except Antarctica. In the U.S., roughly 1,400 independently owned shops take part each year, and the event has grown into the single biggest day on the calendar for physical music retail.

The 2026 Ambassador: Bruno Mars

Every year, Record Store Day names a high-profile musician as its official ambassador. For 2026, that honor goes to Bruno Mars.

Mars was announced as ambassador on January 30, joining a lineage that includes Taylor Swift (2022), Post Malone (2025), Paramore (2024), Metallica (2016), Jack White (2013), Dave Grohl (2015), Pearl Jam (2019), and many others.

In his ambassador announcement, Mars talked about the importance of physically being surrounded by music. He called putting on a record and sitting down to listen to it "a very romantic idea," tying it to the themes of his new solo album, The Romantic, his first full-length solo release since 2016's 24K Magic.

As part of his ambassador duties, Mars partnered with over 200 independent record stores across the U.S. for advance listening parties for The Romantic in late February, and his exclusive RSD release, The Collaborations, will be available on April 18. The compilation brings together his most celebrated team-ups, including tracks with Mark Ronson, Lady Gaga, and ROSÉ.

The 2026 Record Store Legend: Robert Plant

Record Store Day also has a rarer honor called the Record Store Legend award, given sparingly to musicians with a deep, lifelong connection to independent record shops.

For 2026, that award goes to Robert Plant. The former Led Zeppelin frontman, now 77, has been frequenting record stores since before most current shop employees were born. He was famously photographed crate-digging at Bleecker Bob's in New York City with Jimmy Page in 1970, and his visits to indie shops have never stopped, with recent stops at Nail City Record in West Virginia, Mills Record Company in Kansas City, and Schoolkids Records in Raleigh.

Plant's commemorative plaque was unveiled at Spillers Records in Cardiff, Wales, widely recognized as the world's oldest record store. He joins Elton John (2017) and Johnny Marr (2025) as the only recipients of the honor.

Plant is also celebrating RSD 2026 with an exclusive EP release, Saving Grace: All That Glitters, on Nonesuch Records, featuring four tracks with his Saving Grace band.

Over 350 Exclusive Releases

The 2026 release list is massive. Over 350 exclusive and limited-edition titles will line the shelves of participating stores on April 18, spanning rock, pop, hip-hop, jazz, soul, reggae, classical, folk, and more.

Many veteran collectors and music writers are calling this one of the strongest RSD lists in years. Highlights include releases from Taylor Swift, Charli xcx, Paramore, Bruno Mars, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, The Cure, Talking Heads, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, Grateful Dead, Weezer, Jeff Buckley, Ethel Cain, The Rolling Stones, Laufey, TV Girl, Fall Out Boy, and many more. For jazz fans, reissue producer Zev Feldman has lined up archival releases from John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Joe Henderson, Ahmad Jamal, and Yusef Lateef.

Exclusive (E)

Only available at participating indie record stores. This is the big one.

RSD First (F)

Available first at indie stores, with a wider release later.

Limited Run / Regional Focus (L)

Small pressings, often under 1,000 copies, with regional distribution.

Browse the full list at recordstoreday.com, or see our Complete Release List organized by genre. For our curated picks across every genre, check out The Most Anticipated Record Store Day 2026 Releases.

Vinyl Sales Are at Historic Highs

Record Store Day 2026 arrives during a remarkable moment for vinyl. According to the RIAA's year-end report, U.S. vinyl sales surpassed $1 billion in revenue in 2025, the first time vinyl has crossed that mark since 1983. Sales have now grown for 19 consecutive years, with roughly 46.8 million records sold in 2025 alone, a 9% increase over 2024.

Vinyl now accounts for about 50% of global vinyl revenue just from U.S. sales. The format has firmly outpaced CDs in revenue, and independent record stores account for approximately 40% of all vinyl sales. Record Store Day has been a major driver of this growth since its founding, creating an annual cultural event that brings new fans into the format and back into their local shops.

Taylor Swift led all vinyl sales in 2025 with over 1.6 million copies of The Life of a Showgirl, followed by Sabrina Carpenter, Kendrick Lamar, and Billie Eilish. The global vinyl market is now valued at roughly $2.1 billion and is projected to reach $3.5 billion or more by the early 2030s.

How to Find a Participating Store

The easiest way to find a Record Store Day participating store near you is through the official store locator at recordstoreday.com/Stores. You can search by state and see which shops in your area are taking part.

You can also use the Record Store Directory right here on our site. We catalog every brick-and-mortar record store in the United States, state by state. Browse your state's page, find the stores near you, and check their websites or social media for RSD plans.

How Does Record Store Day Work?

1. In-store only on April 18. RSD exclusive releases can only be purchased in person at participating indie record stores on the day of the event.
2. First come, first served. There are no pre-orders and no reservations. Stores are bound by the RSD code of conduct, which prohibits holding titles for customers.
3. Inventory varies by store. Each shop orders releases through their regular distributors, so not every store will have every title. Check with your shop ahead of time if there is something specific you want.
4. Leftover stock goes online after the event. Stores may sell remaining RSD inventory online starting the day after Record Store Day, though popular titles rarely survive that long.

For a detailed breakdown of how to prepare, what to bring, and how to maximize your haul, read: How to Shop Record Store Day Like a Pro.

A Brief History of Record Store Day

Record Store Day was born out of a simple question: how do you get people excited about walking into a record store? The concept came from Chris Brown of Bull Moose Music and Eric Levin of Criminal Records, inspired by the model of Free Comic Book Day. At a gathering of indie store owners in 2007, the idea took shape, and Record Store Day co-founder Michael Kurtz helped bring it to life.

Why Record Store Day Matters

In a world where you can stream virtually any song ever recorded on your phone, why does any of this matter?

Because a record store is more than a retail space. It is a community hub, a discovery engine, a place where a teenager can stumble onto a jazz record they never knew existed, where a longtime collector can chat with someone behind the counter who actually knows their stock, where a local band can sell their first pressing. Record Store Day exists to celebrate that culture and to make sure it sticks around for the next generation.

Every dollar you spend at an independent record store on Record Store Day (or any day) goes directly to supporting a local business, local employees, and a local music community. That is not a small thing.

Happy hunting. We will see you in the aisles.