Record Store Day (RSD) 2026 is just around the corner and announcements are already coming thick and fast about the exclusive releases to be picked up this year, including limited edition vinyl pressings of David Bowie, The Snuts and many more.
The now annual event celebrates and supports our independent record stores all over the East Midlands tends to trigger a bit of a scramble for special editions and hidden gems that people have been looking to get their hands on.
Thsi year’s event takes place on Saturday, April 18 and we’ll be listing all our regional stores taking part nearer the time.
And although it’s just over two months away, the first wave of special vinyl releases have been announced.
Traditionally, artists issue special edition exclusive releases for RSD, and among the one-off releases this time around will be two rare Bowie records.
The first is a 12” neon pink EP of the classic ‘90s single ‘Hallo Spaceboy’, featuring remixes from Pet Shop Boys, Dave Ball and Ingo Vauk and a new mix from Tim Simenon, while the other is a half-speed record of excerpts from 1995’s ‘1.OUTSIDE’ LP.
That album, on which ‘Hallo Spaceboy’ was originally included, saw Bowie reunite with Brian Eno and was influenced by industrial and jazz music, as well as David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. This new 1LP version will be available on clear vinyl, after having been out of print for over a decade.
Releases from The Snuts, Kokoroko and Nilüfer Yanya are also among the new releases listed for this year’s event.
The trio are issuing tracks recorded live in a single take and having the tracks pressed directly to vinyl at Metropolis Studios in London without edits or retakes.
The Snuts’ tracks were recorded at Boiler Shop in Newcastle last October, while Yanya played tracks from her 2024 album ‘My Method Actor’ live at Metropolis for the release.
Kokoroko, meanwhile, will be offering a 4-track EP that includes music from their 2025 album ‘Tuff Times Never Last’, as well as a cover of ‘Express Your Love’ by Sweet and Innocent.
Record Store Day UK will also be once again be supporting official charity partner, War Child, with fifteen exclusive limited-edition releases from artists such as The Cure, The Vaccines, Fleetwood Mac and more.
The exclusive releases this year cover a broad spectrum of music, from anniversary editions of classic albums to rare demo recordings and first time-on-vinyl releases.
For every copy of these records sold, £1 will be donated to War Child to support their efforts to help children affected by conflict, providing protection, specialist mental health support, education, and standing up for the rights of children whose lives have been devastatingly affected by war.
Rich Clarke, head of music at War Child UK said: “Right now, 1 in 5 children are affected by war. That’s more than 520 million children globally in the likes of Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine and more, so the support of RSD, retailers and record buyers couldn’t be more needed to help us continue to do our vital work around the world.”
The full, extensive list of releases for Record Store Day 2026 is expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks.
