UK | Record Store Day UK sales up 25% in record-breaking year: Over 300 independent record shops took part in this year’s event. Sales on last weekend’s Record Store Day in the UK were up 25% on the previous year, making it a record-breaking day for the long-running event. Over 300 independent record shops across the UK took part in the Saturday, 18th April event, hosting live performances, signings, DJ sets and other special activities to mark the occasion. This was the 19th annual Record Store Day event. Kim Bayley, CEO of ERA, which organises the event, said: “This year’s Record Store Day demonstrated as never before the emerging role of record shops as cultural hubs on the high street, bringing together music fans across generations and breathing new life into town centres…”
CA | Explore Ontario’s best vintage finds. From Toronto record stores to Hamilton’s Cabinet of Curiosities, here is your 2026 day-trip guide: Now that springlike weather has finally returned to Ontario, vintage markets and collectible stores are springing back into action. Weekend day-trippers can find souvenirs, antiques and unique gift items as they explore the province. Here’s a list of some of the best places to find collectibles, cool nostalgia, vinyl records and more. Sonic Boom Music: Physical music is making a major comeback, and you can shop for your favourite CDs and vinyl at Canada’s largest independent record store. Sonic Boom Music also offers turntables, speakers, movies, gifts and band T-shirts. Find new classics and hidden gems, all in one place or speak to the staff for personalized recommendations…
St. Paul, MN | One of the few Black-owned record shops in the country needs help staying open: Urban Lights Music, a Black-owned St. Paul record store, struggles to survive amid a changing era. For Tim Wilson, owner of Urban Lights Music, Record Store Day feels like Christmas morning. “It is Record Store Day. So yeah, it’s like a holiday,” Wilson said. The comparison is fitting, because for up-and-coming DJs like Jared Gillespie, known as JG, Wilson has been something like Santa Claus. “He’s been like a mentor, you know,” Gillespie said. “I came in here one Saturday and I was like, ‘Hey, do you mind if I come DJ here sometimes?’ And as soon as I stepped in here, he’s like, ‘Yeah, go up there right now.'” Wilson offers free space for people to sharpen their skills and produce music. “We teach DJing, we teach production,” Wilson said. Urban Lights Music, located at 1449 University Ave. in St. Paul, is one of the few Black-owned record shops in the country and the only one in Minnesota.
Salisbury, UK | Word Up: Vinyl revival hits the right note in Salisbury: Last Saturday, I got up early and headed into town. A sunny Salisbury spring morning is not one to be missed, and by the time we made it to the market square, the town was already buzzing with early birds. Not that birds actually buzz, British Telecom’s Buzby aside, but you get the idea. A Buzby reference might be as finger on the pulse as the phrase finger on the pulse itself, but he might have understood what I was doing up early. For Saturday was Record Store Day, the annual celebration of all things vinyl, when the nation’s independent record stores offer a tantalising range of musical rarities and one-off releases. A Buzby reference might be as finger on the pulse as the phrase finger on the pulse itself, but he might have understood what I was doing up early.
Davenport, IA | From furniture store to music hub: Davenport building to become Sound Factory: Quad Cities native plans vinyl shop, café, event space and more as part of redevelopment effort. A former furniture store in downtown Davenport is getting a new life—one centered around music, community and a long-held vision. Keith Christ, who grew up in East Moline, is transforming the former Bruce’s New & Used Furniture building on West Fourth Street into what he calls the Sound Factory, a multi-use space that will include a record shop, café, live music venue and more. Christ said the idea has been years in the making. “Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to have a work-live place that I could have my music and do music…and also live there…”
Las Vegas, NV | 10 cool spots for vinyl records in Las Vegas: “Record stores can’t save your life, but they can give you a better one.” —Nick Hornby Having penned the great record store novel “High Fidelity,” later adapted into a cult classic film starring John Cusack, Hornby knows what he’s talking about. That picture, released in 2000, captured the passion, camaraderie and sense of discovery inherent in digging through the crates at your favorite indie music shop, a home away from home for music obsessives. Two and a half decades later, that thrill has only grown: Vinyl record sales notched their 19th consecutive year of growth in 2025, moving nearly 47 million copies and hitting a new milestone of $1 billion in earnings for the first time this century, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
Richmond, VA | Plan 9 record shop thrives in digital music age, celebrates 45 years in Richmond: Hidden treasures come in all shapes in sizes. Inside 3017 West Cary Street in Richmond’s Carytown shopping district, customers at Plan 9 Records discover platinum and gold aplenty. Soul and R&B fan Quinn Cunningham shops at Plan 9 record shop once, sometimes twice a week. “For me, it was something I didn’t know I was looking for,” Cunningham said. “That is why I come in. And discover more. There are a lot of things that you can find here.” Plan 9 specializes in used and new vinyl. “Record collecting is cool. You get to discover a new music. So coming in seeing some stuff you’ve never seen before checking it out that is what it’s about,” Cunningham said.
Jersey City, NJ | Record Riot Returns to South Street for Vinyl-Fueled Celebration Alongside Spring Fest 2026: The Record Riot returns to Philadelphia’s legendary South Street on Saturday, May 2nd, bringing a full day of vinyl collecting, live music vibes, and community energy to the 500 block of South Street. Featuring more than 50 dealer tables, the event will offer a wide selection of LPs, CDs, tapes, and more. The Record Riot is sponsored by Record Riots, Repo Records, and the South Street Headhouse District, continuing a popular partnership that draws music lovers from across the region. This year’s event is held in coordination with South Street Springfest, a multi-block street fair taking place the same day. Springfest will feature a wide array of vendors, food offerings, and entertainment, creating a vibrant, festival-like atmosphere up and down South Street.
4 Reasons Audiophiles Choose Turntables Over Record Players: Unless you’re an audiophile, you may not know there’s a difference between a record player and a turntable. Traditionally, a standard record player is an all-in-one device, meaning it includes built-in speakers and an amp to power them, but the downside is that you can’t always easily replace its components, which is why record players tend to lean towards the cheaper side, like the low-cost generic suitcase players at electronic stores. On the other hand, a turntable requires external components to function, like a pre-amp and a Hi-Fi sound system, allowing for a much more dialed-in premium sound.
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