Bruno Mars Named 2026 Record Store Day Ambassador, Plans Exclusive RSD LP and Album Listening Parties
Bruno Mars has been named the 2026 Record Store Day Ambassador, an announcement made Friday alongside a new video celebrating the culture of independent record shops and vinyl collecting. As part of his role, Mars will release an exclusive compilation LP for Record Store Day, which takes place on April 18.
Independent record stores will also host special listening events for Mars’ upcoming solo album, The Romantic, on February 25, giving fans an early in-store experience ahead of the album’s official release two days later.
The Record Store Day exclusive release, titled The Collaborations, will feature a collection of Mars’ most notable joint projects. The compilation includes tracks such as “Uptown Funk” with Mark Ronson, “Die With a Smile” with Lady Gaga, and the Grammy-nominated “APT.” with ROSÉ. Additional Record Store Day exclusives are expected to be announced in the coming weeks as part of the annual rollout.
In the promotional video, Mars spoke about the unique value of physical music spaces, saying record stores allow listeners to fully immerse themselves in music rather than consuming it through screens. He described vinyl listening as a more intentional and emotionally rewarding experience, contrasting it with the fast-paced nature of digital streaming.
Mars also reflected on his personal connection to vinyl, crediting his father’s record collection for sparking his appreciation for the format. He recalled one of the first records he owned being a Jackson 5 album and encouraged fans to support local shops, suggesting that even those without a turntable should try listening to a record from start to finish.
During the video, Mars browsed records and highlighted a 1970s album by soul artist Leroy Hutson, The Man! — Writer/Producer/Artist/Superstar!!, joking about its bold title.
Record Store Day co-founder Michael Kurtz praised Mars’ appointment, noting that his career reflects the diversity and cross-genre spirit that independent record stores represent. Kurtz said Mars’ broad musical interests and collaborations make him a natural fit for the role.
Past Record Store Day Ambassadors have included Taylor Swift, Metallica, Jack White, Pearl Jam, St. Vincent, Brandi Carlile, Dave Grohl, Post Malone, and many others.
In related news, it was also confirmed Friday that Mars will perform at Sunday night’s Grammy Awards, adding to a busy stretch for the pop star as he prepares for multiple major releases and appearances.
The list of stores offering advance in-shop listening parties for Mars’ “The Romantic” on Feb. 25 is:
10,000 Hz Records Opelika AL
1234 Go Records Oakland CA
22 Sound Records Mandeville LA
3hive Record Lounge Provo UT
AFK Books & Records Virginia Beach VA
Amoeba Berkeley *Event 2/27 Berkeley CA
Amoeba Hollywood *Event 2/27 Los Angeles CA
Amoeba San Francisco *Event 2/27 San Francisco CA
AndVinyl Records Clarksville TN
Animal Records Evanston IL
Armadillo Music Davis CA
Audiogazing Saginaw MI
Back To The Vinyl Waupaca WI
Beat Goes On Records and More West Bend WI
Bigfoot Records Spokane WA
Black Hills Vinyl Rapid City SD
Block Street Records Fayetteville AR
Boo Boo Records San Luis Obispo CA
Buddha Belly Records Sayville NY
Budget Music & Video Minot ND
BUMRUSH Vinyl Shop Fredericksburg VA
Byrdland Records Washington DC
C-Side Records Port Orchard WA
Cactus Music Houston TX
Cameron Records Billings MT
CD Warehouse Records & Tapes Arlington TX
Chris’s Nostalgia Shop Whitefield NH
Clarizio Music Point Pleasant NJ
Compact Disc Center Bethlehem PA
County Line Records Keller TX
Criminal Records Atlanta GA
Crying Cat Books & Records Murfreesboro TN
Curious Collections College Station/Bryan TX
D & J Records Dunedin FL
Daily Records Milwaukie OR
Dale’s Records and Skateshop Palm Desert CA
DBS Sounds Riverdale GA
DBZ Books N Records Corona CA
Dead Wax Records Garland TX
Deadwax Records Goodyear AZ
Dearborn Music Dearborn MI
Del Bravo Record Shop San Antonio TX
Disc-Cover Records Nampa ID
Down In The Valley Golden Valley MN
Down In The Valley Maple Grove MN
Downtown Sound Records & Tapes Greeley CO
Dreamin’ Human Lancaster PA
Drinks Records Austin TX
Dudley’s Records Torrance CA
Dumber Records Springfield IL
Easy Street Records Seattle WA
Electric Fetus Minneapolis MN
Elmhurst Records Elmhurst IL
Eroding Winds Oshkosh WI
Eroding Winds Appleton WI
Euclid Records St. Louis MO
Everlong Records Hamburg PA
Exiled Records Portland OR
Factory Records Dover NJ
Fingerprints Long Beach CA
First City Records Marietta OH
First Day Vinyl Lincoln NE
Folklore Napa CA
For The Record Brooklyn NY
For The Record Union City TN
Forever Changes Vinyl Lounge Phoenixville PA
Freshtopia Norfolk VA
Gallery of Sound Wilkes-Barre PA
Good Records Dallas TX
Good Taste Records Boston MA
Grace Records Gilbert AZ
Graywhale Taylorsville UT
Green Light Music Kalamazoo MI
Grimey’s Nashviile TN
Guestroom Records Edmond OK
Guestroom Records Highlands Louisville KY
Guestroom Records Norman OK
Guestroom Records Oklahoma City OK
Hard Copies Bowling Green KY
Hi-Fi Hits Williamsville NY
Hifi Provisions Brooklyn NY
High Fidelity Records Amarillo TX
Homers Music Omaha NE
Hungry Ear Records Honolulu HI
Indie Earth Buffalo MN
Indy CD & Vinyl Indianapolis IN
Jammin Nuggets Music Sedalia MO
JBs Record Lounge Atlanta GA
Josey Records Tulsa OK
Josey Records Farmers Branch TX
Josey Records Garland TX
Josey Records Plano TX
Kraken Records New Martinsville WV
Latchkey Philadelphia PA
Left Round Records Plainfield IL
Licorice Pizza Records Studio City CA
Lilliput Records Milwaukee WI
Looney Tunes West Babylon NY
Loud Pizza Records Chicago IL
Love People Records Kensington MD
Lucky Records Miami Miami FL
Luna Record Shop Franklin TN
Lunchbox Records Charlotte NC
MaTones Music Collegeville PA
Max J Records Fairhaven MA
Midnite Moon Idyllwild CA
Mills Record Company Kansas City MO
Moe’s Record Shop Gainesville GA
Mountain Music Rutland VT
Music Millennium Portland OR
Music Town Klein TX
Musicology Co Edmonds WA
Nail City Record Wheeling WV
Newbury Comics Manchester CT
Newbury Comics Norwood MA
Newbury Comics Peabody MA
Newbury Comics Nashua NH
Newbury Comics Staten Island NY
Newbury Comics Albany NY
Nivessa Los Angeles CA
Obsession Records Anchorage AK
OffBeat Jackson MS
Omega Music Dayton OH
Orbit’s Record Shop Barboursville WV
Out Of The Past Records Chicago IL
Paradise Found Records & Music Petaluma CA
Paradise Records and Trading Post Santa Maria CA
Park Ave CDs Orlando FL
Plaid Room Records Loveland OH
Plan 9 Music Richmond VA
Positively 4th Street Records Charleston IL
Queen B Vinyl Cafe Cottonwood AZ
Rainy Day Records Olympia WA
Rattleback Records Chicago IL
Re-Spun Records & Resale Freeport IL
REB Records Bel Air MD
Reckless Records Chicago IL
Record Guys Abilene TX
Record Swap Urbana IL
Record Town Fort Worth TX
Repo records Philadelphia PA
Resident Vinyl Orange CA
Resignation Records Troy OH
Retrofit Records Tallahassee FL
Revilla Grooves Milltown NJ
Revolution Records Torrington CT
Right On!!! Napa Napa CA
Ripe Records Grosse Pointe Park MI
Rock City Music Company Livonia MI
Rock n Roll Land Green Bay WI
Rockin’ Ruby’s Records Poulsbo WA
Rockin’ Ruby’s Records Bainbridge Island WA
Rollin’ Records Boise ID
Ronald Records Vancouver WA
Rosie’s Records Pittsburgh PA
Rough Trade NYC New York NY
Run Out Groove Records Burbank CA
Rust & Wax Record Shop West Palm Beach FL
Salty Dog Records Sarasota FL
Salzer’s Records Ventura CA
Schoolkids Records Raleigh NC
Schoolkids Records Wilmington NC
Screaming Earth Records Owasso OK
Sell Your Soul Records Mooresville NC
Shuga Records Chicago IL
Silver Platters Bellevue WA
Silver Platters Lynnwood WA
Silver Platters Seattle WA
Siren Records Doyleston PA
Slick Disc Trenton MI
Sold Out Vinyl Records Englewood CO
Sonic Rainbow Casper WY
Sound Revolution Spring TX
Soundtrax Morristown TN
Spin Me Round Easton PA
Spinning Plate Records Covina CA
Square Cat Vinyl Indianapolis IN
Squatch Den Records Horseheads NY
Static Era Records Milford CT
Streetlight Records Santa Cruz CA
Streetlight Records San Jose CA
Sweat Records Miami FL
T-Bones Records & Cafe Hattiesburg MS
Telegraph Autonomous Zone New London CT
The ‘In’ Groove Phoenix AZ
The Detroit Record Club Royal Oak MI
The Midnight Hour Records San Fernando CA
The Record Exchange Boise ID
The Record Shop Phoenixville PA
The Record Shop on 95th Evergreen Park IL
The Records Department Woodstock IL
The Sound Garden Baltimore MD
The Sound Garden Syracuse NY
The Vinyl Frontier Carrollton GA
The Vinyl Groove Records Cleveland OH
Third Eye Music & Video Annapolis MD
Timeless Vinyl Record Store Paducah KY
Toad Hall Books and Records Rockford Il
Tonevendor St. Augustine FL
Track City Records Escondido CA
Tune Town Mankato MN
Tunes Hoboken Hoboken NJ
Uncle Joes Records Cromwell CT
Used Kids Records Columbus OH
Val’s halla Records Oak Park IL
Verbena Vinyl Northfield MN
Vinal Edge Records Houston TX
Vintage Vibes Records Stuart FL
Vintage VinylA210 St. Louis MO
Vinyl Heaven Overland Park KS
Vinyl Resting Place Portland OR
Vinyl Revival Lansdowne PA
Vinyl Revival Records Somerset KY
Vinyl Street Co. Fairfield CT
Vinyl Valhalla Littleton CO
Vinyl Veritas Brooklyn NY
Virginia’s Memory Lane Records Henrico VA
Volta Records Greenfield WI
Volume Music The Woodlands TX
Volume Music Huntsville TX
Waterloo Records Austin TX
Watts Music Novato CA
We Got The Beats Oakland Park Fl
We Got The Beats Dania Beach FL
We Got The Beats Too Lauderhill FL
White Rabbit Records Fullerton CA
Yearbook Records Lanoka Harbor NJ
Yellow Dog Discs Wilmington NC
Yellow Racket Records Chattanooga TN
Young Ones Records Kutztown PA
Zia Records Las Vegas NV
Zia Records Chandler AZ
Zia Records Mesa AZ
Zia Records Tempe AZ
Zia Records Tucson AZ
Zia Records Phoenix AZ
ZT Records Frisco TX
ZT Records – Sugar Land TX
ZT Records Arlington TX
ZT Records – The Woodlands Mall The Woodlands TX
