Record Store Day 2026: First in the queue at A Slice of Vinyl in Gosport raises money for charity George's Rockstars

The excitement for Record Store Day 2026 is building and one man has already started camping out at A Slice of Vinyl in Gosport.

Steve Maidment became the first person in the queue at 5.45am this morning (Friday, April 17) meaning it will be a 26 hour wait for him. The event kicks off on Saturday, April 18 with doors opening at around 8am in what the owners of the popular Gosport record store described as the “biggest event of the year” for them.

It is the second time in a row that the 36-year-old from Gosport has camped out the front of the shop for Record Store Day. Despite already being tired and “absolutely freezing” when The News spoke to him eight hours in, it is all for a good cause as he has combined his endeavour with raising money for George’s Rockstars, a children’s music therapy charity.

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Having claimed his spot at the front of the queue, Steve is looking to get his hands on the releases from Madness, Paul Weller and Elton John to name a few.

As a record collector Record Store Day is a day he looks forward to. He said: “It is the one day that I manage to book off work each year and look forward to spending a bit more money than I usually would. Being a record collector is an expensive hobby to have.”

Over 300 independent record shops are taking part in RSD 2026 with over 500 limited edition titles and special releases coming out on the day. In the Portsmouth area, Pie & Vinyl in Southsea and Heathen Chemistry Records in Fareham will be joining A Slice of Vinyl in the official celebrations.

George’s Rockstars was founded in memory of a 6-year old Portsmouth boy, George, who battled leukaemia from just 22-months old. More details on the charity can be found at https://georgesrockstars.com/.

To donate to Steve’s fundraising page click here.