Record Store Day in Vancouver, 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 Vancouver, Canada
Independent record shops open in Vancouver, 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.
- Audiopile Records
East Vancouver's go-to record shop since 2001, specializing in hard-to-find releases from classics to esoteric genres. New and used vinyl and CDs arriving daily, spanning rock, electronic, jazz, funk/soul and world music.
2 sources
- Beat Street Records
Downtown Eastside fixture since 1996, founded by Avi Shack and Wes Kuitenbrouwer; roughly 50,000 new and used records in-store across 25+ genres, plus DJ gear, tickets, graffiti supplies and phono accessories.
2 sources
- Bleach@611 (Listening Room by BLEACH Studios)
Chinatown listening room and natural-wine bar built around a restored Hi-Fi JBL Century sound system, with rotating DJ sets (including all-vinyl sets) and open-decks nights. Not a record retailer.
3 sources
- Dandelion Records
Husband-and-wife record shop run by Jeff Knowlton and Laura Frederick since 2007, rebuilt at a Powell Street/ARC building space after fire destroyed the original Mount Pleasant location in 2020. Punk, prog rock and new wave focus, plus gifts.
2 sources
- Highlife Records & Music
Commercial Drive fixture since 1982, run by Kevin Finseth; hand-picked new and used CDs, vinyl, music DVDs and books spanning world, folk and reggae, from Tom Waits to Tinariwen to Bob Marley, plus small instruments.
2 sources
- Neptoon Records
Vancouver's oldest independent record store, opened 1981 by Rob Frith on Main Street's east side and now run with son Ben Frith. Eclectic new/used stock across indie, pop, punk and metal, plus frequent in-store listening parties.
2 sources
- Painted Lady Records
East Vancouver cultural hub on Commercial Drive selling new and used vinyl across rock, jazz, R&B, hip hop, classical and EDM plus rare finds. Doubles as an intimate live-music venue hosting local artists.
2 sources
- Red Cat Records
Main Street mainstay since 2002, founded by Dave Gowans and Lasse Lutick and voted one of Canada's top ten indie record stores. New and used LPs, CDs, turntables and accessories, plus concert tickets and special orders.
2 sources
- Vinyl Records
Gastown's largest vinyl selection, established 1998 and at this Water Street address since 2004 under owner David Jones. Well over 50,000 records with deep used stock in hip-hop, soul, funk, reggae, punk and jazz.
2 sources
- Zulu Records
Kitsilano institution founded 1981 by Grant McDonagh, one of Canada's most famous independent record stores and a former CBC Radio 3 Searchlight finalist for Canada's best record store. New/used vinyl, CDs, 45s and turntables.
2 sources
See the full record store listing for Vancouver, Canada.