Record Store Day in Hamilton, Canada
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 Hamilton, Canada
Independent record shops open in Hamilton, Canada 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.
- Antique Avenue
8,000 sq ft antique mall on Ottawa Street since 2010 — mid-century modern furniture, vintage decor and collectibles alongside a dedicated vinyl-records section.
3 sources
- Dr. Disc
Hamilton record shop since 1991 with 20,000+ new and used vinyl in stock plus new/used/import CDs and DVDs; also sells, rents and repairs DJ and PA gear.
3 sources
- Flashbacks
Nostalgia-focused record shop on the Concession Street strip with vintage vinyl, cassettes and memorabilia; buys, sells and trades, plus worldwide shipping through its active Discogs store.
2 sources
- Into The Abyss
Musician-run record shop in Hamilton's International Village with an eclectic new-and-used vinyl selection, vintage clothing and music merch; moved two blocks to 181 King St E in spring 2026 after a sprinkler flood and facade collapse at its former home.
2 sources
- Out Of The Basement
Old-school used-vinyl shop on the Ottawa Street strip, run by owner Iggy from the same location for close to 40 years; secondhand LPs only, no new releases.
3 sources
- Revolution Records
Revolution Records' second location, opened 2025 in the former Records on Wheels storefront that anchored downtown Dundas for nearly 40 years; carries the same new/used vinyl mix as the Ottawa Street flagship.
3 sources
- Revolution Records
Colourful sixties-styled record shop anchoring Hamilton's 'Ottawa Street record alley' since 2015, with a huge new/used LP, 45 and CD selection across every genre and low RSD prices.
2 sources
- Stardust Records
Ottawa Street record shop since 1983 with an extensive range of rare and collectible vinyl LPs and 45s alongside CDs and cassettes; buys records case-by-case and takes special orders.
2 sources
- Sunrise Records
Hamilton branch of Sunrise Records, Canada's national record-store chain (est. 1977), inside CF Lime Ridge Mall; carries new vinyl alongside CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays.
2 sources
- Where Heads Meet
Used-record-and-headshop combo on Ottawa Street since 2009, locally known as 'Hamilton Record Store'; large secondhand vinyl/45/CD/cassette inventory alongside smoking accessories, decor, tee shirts and comics.
3 sources
See the full record store listing for Hamilton, Canada.