NATIONAL ALBUM DAY RETURNS ON SATURDAY 18TH OCTOBER 2025, THIS YEAR CELEBRATING ROCK

National Album Day returns on Saturday 18th October 2025 with this year’s theme celebrating Rock, following previous editions that, among other themes, have focused on the albums of the 90s, Women in Music, Debut Albums and, just last year, Great British Groups. 

Rock music continues to evolve as an artform and is becoming increasingly diverse in its varied  breadth of offerings, with British bands including Wet Leg, Nova Twins, The Last Dinner Party, Mary in the Junkyard, and Sprints now lining up alongside the likes of Bring Me The Horizon in challenging conventions and in helping to shape a new and thriving contemporary rock landscape.  

National Album Day is organised jointly by the BPI – the UK association of record companies and independent labels (BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize) – and ERA, the digital entertainment and retail association (Record Store Day). Presented in association with official broadcast partner BBC Radio 2 and now in its 8th year since launching in 2018, National Album Day sees the music community come together once again to celebrate and promote the art of the album, and will pay tribute to artists who tell their stories behind these significant and influential bodies of work. 

The 18th October date for National Album Day falls in the same week as the Mercury Prize, which also celebrates the album format, and this year takes place in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (16th October).

National Album Day 2024 saw the annual campaign’s biggest-ever Radio 2 support, which included a Johnny Marr-presented series on Great British Groups, a greatest British groups poll topped by The Beatles, and Florence + The Machine ‘Lungs’ prom on BBC 2. 

Additionally, special National Album Day product releases accounted for 1 in 5 albums sold, and half the weekend’s top 40 vinyl chart, including 6 of the Top 10 and 11 of the Top 20.

Since its launch, National Album Day has been supported by a broad range of artist champions, including Kylie Minogue, Joy Crookes, Sharleen Spiteri, Lewis Capaldi, Mark Ronson, La Roux, Elbow, Paloma Faith, Blossoms, Alice Cooper, Novelist, Tom Odell, Declan McKenna, Mahalia, Toyah Willcox, Tricky, Alex Kapranos, and Jazzie B. Last year Catherine Marks, Courteeners, Jeff Wayne, Nova Twins, Soul II Soul and Travis were the latest talents to add their voices as passionate advocates of the album. 

Typically benefitting from around a week-long build up, National Album Day has hosted a variety of activities such as listening events with album platforms including Classic Album Sundays, Pitchblack Playback, The Record Club, Tape Notes and Tim’s Listening Parties; live performances, including with charity partner War Child; in-store artist appearances and record store promotions, V&A Museum artist in-conversations, and album sleeve artwork exhibitions and street art murals. 

Dr Jo Twist OBE, BPI Chief Executive, said: “National Album Day celebrates not just the art of the album, but recognises also the format’s continuing importance at the heart of our music ecosystem and artists being able to tell their stories through a much-loved medium that remains central to so many people’s lives.  We invite anyone with a love of the album, and this year with a passion for rock music to take part and contribute.”

Kim Bayley, ERA Chief Executive, said: “At a time when music’s focus is on track-based listening, National Album Day is a unique collaboration between the nation’s streaming services and retailers and the record industry to highlight the uniquely satisfying characteristics of the album format. We are delighted once again to collaborate with the BPI and BBC on what already looks like being the biggest and best National Album Day yet.”

Iain McNay, Cherry Red Records Founder and Chairman said: “The creativity, genius, commitment and passion that goes into making an album can be extraordinary and is often forgotten in our increasingly track driven culture that has emerged over the past years. The message behind National Album Day is simple; sit down and play an album, new or old, and really, really listen. There can be so much there you have never heard before. It is like a discovery that can be so special and magical and….. it might even change your life…’  

Keep track of National Album Day online for regular news updates and for details of how to get involved over the coming months.