Record Store Day 2026 Draws Fans Lining Up For Rare Releases

BOZEMAN, Mont. — Music fans in Montana turned out for Record Store Day 2026 as stores across the state marked the annual event with limited releases and a focus on physical records. 

The event, in its 18th year running, had music fans lined up outside of their local stores well before they opened for the special day.  

“Yeah, so, I got here around 7 o’clock last night, and the staff was still setting up last night, so, they were the last people I saw in the parking lot before I left. Just a really quiet night, we read some books. Really cold night, but definitely worth it to get some of these records,” said Betsy Hust.  

Record store day was not just put on in Bozeman. Brick and Mortar stores held events throughout the treasure state, including locations in Billings, Whitefish, Missoula, Livingston, Havre, and Kalispell.  

Customers also came in with specific titles in mind.  

“I’m looking for Cats Eye; I’m also looking for Johnny Blue Skies,” said Cash Onkwiler.  

At Cactus Records in Bozeman, employees described the day as a major moment for the store and its customers. 

“Well today is just the best day of the year for us. It’s like Christmas, it’s like Hannukah, it’s just every fun, fantastic day all rolled into one. It’s paradise,” said Cactus Records employee Jonathan Kennedy.  

Kennedy told Nonstop Local that a day like Record Store Day is an event that store locations spend their entire year preparing for.  

Record Store Day began in 2007 with co-founder Michael Kurtz.  

He explained that the idea for the event came together after changes in the music retail business.  

“Tower records closed, and that was the big retailer for the United States, and everybody thought that no one would want to go to record stores anymore,” said Kurtz.  

“We were having parties and listening events, talking about ‘well, how can we get, you know, a positive message out?’. We said, ‘let’s do what we do and throw a party and call it record store day,’” he said.  

Kurtz said the event started small and grew far beyond what organizers expected.  

“I had no idea what was going to happen when we first launched it, ‘cause it was only like 80 stores or something like that in the beginning and only about 35 thousand records pressed. And when those sold, we were all blown away. And now this year is the first year we’re shipping a million records,” said Kurtz.  

For some people in Bozeman, the event is more than a time to add to their record collections. It is also about investing in physical media and coming together with those they love most over shared interests.  

“I started my eighth-grade year, so about four years ago now. I was talking to my dad about getting some speakers in my room and he was like ‘oh, come to record store day.’ Dad’s been going a lot longer, when Cactus was downtown. He’s been doing it for I’d say 10, 20 years now,” said Record Store Day Customer James Smith.  

For those who want to check which local stores are taking part in Record Store Day 2026, you can visit recordstoreday.com