Record Store Day 2026 starts soon! The date, the top vinyl drops, and everything else you need to know

Records.

• Record Store Day is a day away — vinyl becomes available on April 18
• Many US and UK stores take part (and are bound by official RSD rules)
• The best drops? Depends on your taste, but it'll be first come, first served
• …and available in-store on the day only — until the Monday night after RSD

Dyed-in-the-wool vinyl collectors already know the date: Record Store Day (RSD) got circled in their diaries early doors. But you're not too late at all — the (arguable) beauty of RSD is that it's an in-person, in-store thing. Think of it as what Black Friday used to be, but purely for limited-edition vinyl.