Record Store Day Date

Record Store Day lands on Saturday, April 18, with official exclusive releases sold only through participating independent record stores. (recordstoreday.com) The official United States Record Store Day site says the 2026 list is already live and that stores begin selling those titles when doors open on April 18. The same page says there are no pre-orders and that every shop decides for itself which records to stock. (recordstoreday.com) That means the headline list is national, but the actual bins will vary store by store. Record Store Day says most shops will not carry every title, and some stores will skip the special releases entirely. (recordstoreday.com) The event was created in 2007 by independent record store owners and employees, and the first Record Store Day was held on April 19, 2008. The organization now says it includes nearly 1,400 independently owned stores in the United States and thousands more internationally. (recordstoreday.com) The official release database shows why collectors plan ahead: some runs are small enough to disappear quickly. On the 2026 list, for example, 13th Floor Elevators’ *We Are Not Live* is listed at 2,000 copies, and Bryan Adams’ *Tough Town* is also listed at 2,000. (recordstoreday.com) The 2026 lineup stretches across catalog reissues, anniversaries, live albums and one-off singles. The official site and Record Store Day United Kingdom coverage highlight names including Elton John, Olivia Dean, PinkPantheress, Black Sabbath, Wolf Alice, Madonna, Blur and Charli XCX. (recordstoreday.com) (officialcharts.com) (recordstoreday.co.uk) Record Store Day’s rules are aimed at getting buyers into shops, not checkout carts. The official United States FAQ says the organization does not sell the records itself, stores order directly from distributors, and unsold copies may start appearing on store websites on Sunday, April 19. (recordstoreday.com) The United Kingdom arm says 2026 is the event’s 19th year and that more than 300 shops across the United Kingdom and Ireland are taking part. Official Charts says those stores will pair the exclusive records with in-store events on April 18. (recordstoreday.co.uk) (officialcharts.com) The same United Kingdom announcement ties the event to the broader vinyl boom, citing Digital Entertainment and Retail Association figures showing 7.5 million vinyl albums sold there last year, up 18.6% by value to £238 million. That does not set United States demand, but it shows why a one-day vinyl event still pulls long lines in 2026. (recordstoreday.co.uk) For shoppers, the practical deadline is now: check whether a nearby store has the Record Store Day pledge badge, study that shop’s list, and be ready for first-come, first-served sales when doors open on April 18. That is still the basic bargain of Record Store Day nearly 18 years after the first one. (recordstoreday.com)