Edinburgh, UK | Legendary Edinburgh record store Vinyl Villains announces sad closure after four decades: Andy Watters, owner of Vinyl Villains record shop in Edinburgh, said it was “hard to believe” customers’ upset at news of his retirement. A legendary record store that has been a staple of Leith Walk for decades is set to close as its owner retires after more than 40 years. Vinyl Villains’ owner Andy Watters has been selling vinyl at the Elm Row shop since 1983 and said it was simply “time to do something else.” According to the 69-year-old, customers were devastated to discover he was shutting up shop next January, a move he said was not motivated by an approaching rent increase.
Edinburgh, UK | 6 of the best record shops to visit in Edinburgh this weekend: Edinburgh has a buzzing independent record shop scene, offering music lovers the chance to explore everything from classic rock and soul to jazz, punk, electronic music and the latest releases. One of the joys of visiting independent record shops is the experience of browsing through crates of vinyl, discovering forgotten albums and stumbling across unexpected treasures. Whether you’re searching for a rare first pressing, a favourite album from your youth or something completely new, each shop has its own character, specialist knowledge and carefully curated selection. Here are six of the best record shops to visit in Edinburgh this weekend.
Oshawa, ON | Will McGuirk’s downtown Oshawa comeback: The Press vinyl café and lounge open now. Oshawa’s downtown community was rattled earlier this year by the loss of Kops Records—a shop that was transformed by manager and downtown staple Will McGuirk into an all-purpose hub for local music, art and community-building. As of this week, McGuirk is officially back downtown with a new venture in the space formerly occupied by Kops—The Press. The new café, record store and lounge emerged from McGuirk’s conversations with Avanti Trattoria manager Domenic Albis when Kops was closing. Albis said the closure left a “lost hole” downtown and decided to go in with McGuirk on the new business, which would be part store and part evening lounge.
Newcastle, UK | Newcastle vinyl store ‘trying to find a way forward’ as store at risk of closing: The record store moved out of the city centre due to rising costs. A recent post from a Newcastle record store has drawn attention online. Beyond Vinyl, located in the John Marley Centre near Denton, has had a tricky few months trying to stay afloat. The post to the store’s Facebook page said: “I’ve spent months trying to work out how we keep Beyond Vinyl going as a physical shop. I think it’s time I shared where we’re at and what I’m trying to do about it.” The details of the difficulty include supplier debt from Record Store Day, a day meant to increase profits for independent record stores, but that can often lead to crowd surges for only one day a year. However, day-to-day costs have played a large part in why the shop is now struggling.
Hagerstown, MD | Live at Hub City Vinyl marks Main Stage’s first anniversary: Live at Hub City Vinyl is celebrating the first anniversary of The Main Stage, its 600-capacity concert room that opened in September 2025 in downtown Hagerstown. During its first year, The Main Stage hosted more than 150 concerts drawing over 22,000 fans, according to the venue. Since Live at Hub City Vinyl opened, it has booked more than 400 shows and generated over $1 million in ticket sales. “When we opened The Main Stage a year ago, we knew Hagerstown was ready for a real concert room,” said owner Lloyd Thoburn. “The response has been beyond anything we imagined. Fans are driving in from across western Maryland, the Eastern Panhandle, and the Pennsylvania turnpike corridor—and the artists want to come back.”
Kyiv, UA | Russian bombs bury songs and the memory of Kyiv when ‘the dance floor was packed.’ Vadym Glynarskyy’s collection of 25,000 vinyl records lies destroyed by fire at the Pochaina flea market, which was attacked three times this summer. “Look, this one was by Manhattan Transfer.” Vadym Glynarskyy, 73, throws onto the scorched ground the remains of one of the 25,000 vinyl records from his collection that he estimates were ruined in a Russian bombing of the popular Pochaina market in Kyiv. “War is a disaster,” he laments as he surveys the desolate scene of dozens of businesses gutted by fire, including his own. He points out charred metal objects that only he can identify: a speaker, a mixing console, a turntable, an amplifier… even the frame of a bicycle he says was ridden in the 1978 Tour de France and had been given to one of his sons as a gift.
Warrington, UK | Teenage vinyl sensation brings “Northern Groove” to Warrington for exclusive guest DJ set: Warrington is set to welcome the UK’s most exciting young soul DJ as 16-year-old vinyl specialist Finlay Keates heads to town for an exclusive guest DJ set. Hailing from Whitby, North Yorkshire, Finlay is making his mark on the Northern Soul scene, championing the sounds of a bygone era through authentic original-release vinyl. With a passion for soul, vintage records and the culture surrounding them, he is helping introduce a new generation to the timeless appeal of the Northern Soul movement. Dubbed as the UK’s most in-demand young soul DJ, Finlay has developed his own distinctive musical identity, which he calls “Northern Groove”: an eclectic blend of Northern Soul, Modern Soul, Motown, funk and ska, delivered with a genuine appreciation for the original records.
The listening room concept is expanding, and hotels are embracing it: We’ve always listened to music, that much we know. But for the past few years, we’ve also been talking about how we listen to it and just how much it matters to us today, with all the enthusiasm of lovestruck schoolchildren. …Let me start at the beginning. The dedicated community of vinyl enthusiasts never really disappeared; it simply grew a little quieter with the arrival of digital music. Then it came back to life when we realised how fleeting other formats could be, while “a good old record is the only thing that can survive” (a phrase I often heard from friends who were forever hunting for rare releases). The record shops and online stores that survived those uncertain times now play a vital role in keeping the vinyl scene alive.
Bel Air, MD | Vinyl Record Fun! The Bel Air Record Riot! Sun Nov 8th at The Bel Air Armory, 10 AM-4 PM CDs too. Don’t miss the Bel Air Record Riot! It’s a BIG VINYL RECORD POP-UP sale at the Bel Air Armory! Over 15,000 vinyl records in ONE ROOM! 40 tables of LPs, CDs, 45s, tapes & more. The Bel Air Record Riot is HERE! It’s a MAD VINYL DIGGING PARTY! Dealers from far and wide converge for a giant music sale! All types of music from punk to funk to country to classic rock, hip hop, soul/jazz, and more. Dust off that turntable and come on down. DOOR PRIZES TOO! Regular admission starts at 10 AM ($5) with early admission at 9 AM ($15). DISCOUNT TICKETS ON EVENTBRITE! Don’t miss the BIG VINYL DIG!
Follow The Vinyl District on Facebook HERE, Instagram HERE, Threads HERE, Bluesky HERE, and X/Twitter HERE.
