Record Store Day in Birmingham, United Kingdom
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 Birmingham, United Kingdom
Independent record shops open in Birmingham, United Kingdom 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.
- Artum
Record shop, cafe and wine bar inside Hockley Social Club, stocking electronic and other genres alongside cake, art and in-house events.
2 sources
- Emortal Records
Stirchley vinyl shop with 150,000+ new and used records across genres, in-store turntables for previewing before buying, and a strong community/DJ culture. Buys unwanted collections.
3 sources
- Hi-Tech Music
Long-running South Asian music specialist in Smethwick (Bearwood), trading as Music Juice online; stocks Bollywood, bhangra, qawwali and more across CDs, DVDs, vinyl and cassettes.
3 sources
- HMV
UK entertainment chain store on the middle level of the Bullring shopping centre, selling new vinyl, CDs and film alongside merchandise; the centre's sole dedicated music and film retailer.
2 sources
- Ignite Record Store
Record stall inside the Oasis indie market specialising in indie, metal, hardcore, punk, industrial and goth vinyl.
3 sources
- Manor House Records
Pre-loved vinyl shop inside the historic Solihull Manor House in the heart of the town centre -- quality-checked used records across all genres, from obscure to mega-rare.
3 sources
- Music Is The Answer
Independent secondhand vinyl shop in Hall Green run by John ('Brum Reseller'), specialising in soul, funk, reggae, disco and rock with new arrivals posted daily; also offers record cleaning and flattening. Also trades from Redbrick Market, Digbeth.
2 sources
- Psychotron Records
Sutton Coldfield vinyl specialist in rare secondhand prog-rock, psych-rock, dub and jazz; buys and sells records and runs its own label.
2 sources
- Swordfish Records
Independent Birmingham record shop since 1979 (originally 'Rockers'); new and used vinyl and CDs spanning rock, indie, psych, garage, folk, jazz, soul, funk and reggae. Buys collections.
2 sources
- The Diskery
England's oldest record shop, trading since 1952; now on Bristol Street after relocating from its long-time Bromsgrove Street site. 100,000+ secondhand vinyl including rare 78rpm jazz and swing, plus vintage gramophones.
2 sources
- The Polar Bear
Kings Heath independent record shop emphasising local artists, folk, rock, jazz and blues; mainly secondhand CDs with vinyl also available.
2 sources
See the full record store listing for Birmingham, United Kingdom.