Record Store Day lineup

Record Store Day returns on Saturday, April 18, with more than 365 limited and exclusive releases landing at independent record shops. (recordstoreday.com) The official list includes titles from Taylor Swift, Paramore, Charli XCX, Weezer, Elton John and Black Sabbath, but Record Store Day says no single shop will stock everything. Stores order directly from distributors, and pre-orders are not offered through the event itself. (recordstoreday.com) In New York, Rockefeller Center will host iNDIEPLAZA on April 18 from noon to 9 p.m., with organizers calling it the world’s largest Record Store Day event. Rough Trade is curating the free festival, and sales at its Rockefeller Center stores start at 9 a.m. at the rink-level shop and 10 a.m. upstairs. (timeout.com) The plaza lineup includes Superchunk, Avalon Emerson, Incendiary, Hotline TNT, Momma, Winter, Friko, Nuovo Testamento and Weird Nightmare. A ticketed children’s program, TiNY iNDIE, runs from 9:30 a.m. to noon with DIY vinyl-making and tie-dyeing. (timeout.com) Record Store Day started in 2007 as an initiative by independent record store owners and employees, and the first event was held on April 19, 2008. The organization says nearly 1,400 independently owned stores in the United States now take part, alongside thousands more internationally. (recordstoreday.com) This year’s ambassador is Bruno Mars, who said independent record stores let listeners “immerse and surround” themselves with music. Record Store Day also named Robert Plant its 2026 Record Store Legend on April 8, with a plaque unveiled at Spillers Records in Cardiff, Wales. (recordstoreday.com) (recordstoreday.co.uk) Plant’s honor is a joint award from Record Store Day United States and Record Store Day United Kingdom, and the U.K. organization said Johnny Marr received the award in 2025 while Elton John was the first honoree in 2017. Plant is also releasing “Saving Grace: All That Glitters” as part of this year’s event. (recordstoreday.co.uk) (recordstoreday.com) Some of the smaller releases are drawing attention too. Brainfeeder is reissuing Flying Lotus’ 2006 debut album “1983” on gold splatter vinyl, and Record Store Day’s product page lists it as a Brainfeeder release for April 18. (inverted-audio.com) (recordstoreday.com) Behind the scenes, Goldmine reported that Record Store Day’s pressing partner Microforum Service Group operates a 60,000-square-foot manufacturing plant. The official event rules also make clear that unsold titles may appear on store websites starting Sunday, April 19, after the in-person launch. (goldminemag.com) (recordstoreday.com) For shoppers, the basic rule is still the same on April 18: show up at a participating store, get in line, and hope your local shop ordered the title you want. Record Store Day says the releases are meant to be found first in brick-and-mortar stores, not sold directly by the event. (recordstoreday.com)