Record Store Day in Beijing, China
Two dates to know: Record Store Day Black Friday is Friday, November 29, 2026, and the next main Record Store Day is Saturday, April 17, 2027.
What is Record Store Day?
Record Store Day is an annual event built around independent record stores. The main event traditionally lands on the third Saturday of April each year; Record Store Day Black Friday is traditionally held the day after US Thanksgiving. Both days bring exclusive, limited-run vinyl and CD releases sold only at participating independent shops — not big-box retailers, and not mail order until the in-store exclusives sell through. Because pressings are limited, popular titles can sell out within the first hour, which is why a line-early culture has grown up around the day even at shops that are otherwise quiet on a weekday morning.
Tips for the day
- Arrive early. At busy shops, lines for popular titles can start well before opening.
- Bring cash. A cash line often moves faster than card on a shop's highest-volume day of the year.
- Check each shop's own site or Instagram in the week before the date — participating shops post their own opening time, line policy, and which exclusive titles they've ordered in.
- Release lists are first-come, first-served and vary store to store. A title in stock at one shop may not show up at another, even across town.
- Expect one-per-customer or per-household limits on the most in-demand titles.
- Not every independent record store participates every year, and allocations vary shop to shop — confirm directly with the shop rather than assuming based on a past year.
Shops to check in Beijing, China
Independent record shops open in Beijing, China right now. We don't yet track which specific shops participate in Record Store Day or what they've ordered in for a given year — check each shop's own site or Instagram close to the date for their exclusive-release list, opening time, and line policy.
- 666 Rock Shop
A Gulou-area metalhead institution ('a sacred place for every metalhead') stocking metal CDs, vinyl, band T-shirts and merch. A visitor update from 9 months ago confirms it's still trading: 'the store exists...large selection of clothes and CDs.'
2 sources
- Duyin Record 独音唱片 (Indie Music)
Small storefront near the Drum Tower in Dongcheng, signage reading 'Best Indie Music' above the door. Per Vinyl World's directory, specializes in indie rock, jazz, classical, world music and rap on vinyl -- a well-known fixture of the Gulou record-shop cluster.
2 sources
- fRUITYSHOP
Original Beijing location (founded 2013) of the fRUITYSHOP record-store chain, which later expanded to Shanghai and Guangzhou. An eclectic Chaoyang shop stocking jazz, progressive rock and Chinese genres, plus hi-fi and turntable gear.
3 sources
- Li-pi Records 莱蒎黑胶唱片
Long-running Beijing record store (est. 2009) that relocated into the 798 Art Zone gallery district, now combining a large event space, restaurant/cafe and record store. Carries a broad mix of Western and Chinese-pressed vinyl, including hard-to-find Chinese jazz titles.
2 sources
- 酷乐唱片 (Cool Music Records)
Used-vinyl shop inside the historic Dahua Cinema building on Dongdan North Street, having relocated here from the 798 Art Zone. Reviewers note stock quality varies and caution that some records may be counterfeit pressings -- worth inspecting closely before buying.
2 sources
See the full record store listing for Beijing, China.