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Record Store Day U.K. has announced its return on Apr. 12, 2025, marking the 18th edition of the annual event.
Over 270 independent record stores across the country will participate, alongside thousands more worldwide. More details as to how to find your closest retailer will be available soon via the official Record Store Day website.
Record Store Day’ U.K.’s upcoming edition coincides with 18 years of growth in vinyl sales despite the ongoing dominance of streaming services. Based on Official Charts Company data, the BPI reported last month that U.K. sales of albums on physical formats increased year-on-year for the first time since 1994 in 2024, by 1.4%.
The first official Record Store Day event took place in April 2008, with the aim of bringing attention to the importance of independent record shop culture. The event has since evolved into a global celebration, while each year, artists release limited edition vinyl variants or perform in-store sets in honour of the occasion.
Last year, Record Store Day U.K. welcomed highly-sought releases and reissues from the likes of The 1975, David Bowie, Paramore, Daft Punk, Gorillaz, Lily Allen, Elton John, and Talking Heads, among others. A full list of new releases for Record Store Day U.K. is typically announced in February.
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According to analysis by digital entertainment and retail association ERA, the success of the last event accounted for an estimated 37.2% of the U.K. vinyl albums market in chart week 17 (Apr. 26). “By continuing to breathe new life into record retailers up and down the country, music fans’ long abiding love affair with the [vinyl] format is placing it back at the heart of release campaigns from world-leading superstars,” said Drew Hill, deputy CEO at Utopia Music, at the time.
Record Store Day U.K 2024 also happened to take place one day after Taylor Swift shared her latest LP, The Tortured Poets Department. Thanks to both, data from the Official Charts Company showed that the week saw 269,134 vinyl albums and 37,656 vinyl singles sold in the U.K. – making for a total of 306,791 units. The figure remains the highest out of any week on record since week five in 1994, when the current statistics began.
