Record Store Day in Quito, Ecuador
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 Quito, Ecuador
Independent record shops open in Quito, Ecuador 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.
- Album Musical
Small record stall inside the Plaza Arenas commercial building, listed by Google Maps under the Record Store category; thinly reviewed but a distinct listing from Quito's other Lavayen-area shops.
1 source
- Alfred Vinil
Small vinyl-and-CD stall in Centro Comercial Granada's Piso Celeste section, carrying contemporary, classical and Ecuadorian music alongside other genres; a compact but well-reviewed crate-digging stop.
1 source
- CDC Music
Self-described largest vinyl store in Ecuador, stocking rock, pop, hip-hop, house and disco pressings alongside cleaning machines, sleeves, mixing consoles and DJ cases; hosts live mixing events.
2 sources
- El Surco Ecuador
Also branded Vinyl Center; billed as Ecuador's largest vinyl store since opening Sept 2018, with a 15,000-record catalogue of new vinyl, CDs, cassettes, turntables and hi-fi gear, plus travelling vinyl fairs nationwide.
2 sources
- GirandoA45Rpm Tienda de Discos
Beloved used/rare-vinyl shop on Lavayen street run by Leo and Germán, specializing in 7" Ecuadorian pressings, LPs and cassettes; reviewers rave about staff expertise and hard-to-find local records.
2 sources
- Larga vida al vinilo Uio
Vinyl and CD stall inside the Quitus Craft Market, with a well-regarded collection including 90s techno-pop finds and rock band merchandise like t-shirts; owner is active replying to Google reviews.
1 source
- LAVA Records
La Floresta shop selling new vinyl, CDs, cassettes and analog photography supplies, describing itself as having the country's largest and most varied selection with a source-it-if-we-don't-have-it policy.
2 sources
- Music Service Ecuador
Imported-music specialist ('Especialistas de Música de Importación') inside the Unicornio II office building on Av. Río Amazonas, selling vinyl and CDs across genres to a loyal local following.
2 sources
- Valita Discos y Libros
Records-and-books combo shop tucked into a small local, praised by reviewers as beautiful and well-stocked with a good selection and fair prices.
1 source
- VinylAddiction Records
Small vinyl-and-CD shop on Lavayen street, a few doors from GirandoA45Rpm (both share the same Google Plus Code, confirming immediate proximity), leaning toward Ecuadorian artists with some pop crossover.
1 source
See the full record store listing for Quito, Ecuador.