Empire of the Sun will shine on Record Store Day Australia 2026.
The electronic duo leads the first batch of Australian releases for the annual celebration of independent music retail, which this year lands on April 18.
Emperor Steele (Luke Steele) and Lord Littlemore (Nick Littlemore) will contribute the expanded edition of Walking On A Dream (via Universal), the act’s hit debut album from 2008. Walking On A Dream collected four ARIA Awards, crashed the top 10 in Australia, and housed the hit singles “We Are the People” and its title track, which crashed the Billboard Hot 100, at No. 65, after it was synced to a Honda Civic campaign some eight years later.
Record hunters and collectors can also score special releases from Spacey Jane, Ruel, Bluey and much more.
One of the highlights in round one, announced Thursday, Feb. 5, is the vinyl debut of Holy Holy’s Sweet Bitter Sweet, the indie band’s final release before entering indefinite hiatus.
Released digitally in 2025, the vinyl version has two distinct halves, with five newly written songs alongside five reimagined versions of beloved tracks drawn from across the group’s 14-year career.
The RDS exclusive release is “an intimate parting gift for fans,” reads a statement from Holy Holy.
RDS Australia launched in 2008 and, like the editions in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and across Europe and elsewhere, drops the needle on the third Saturday of April.
Its goal, to elevate and promote the contemporary music community and support Australian independent labels, artists and the country’s network of 200-plus record stores “with a hope to reach a broader audience and grow the event each year.”
The Australian music industry always chips in, with the likes of Ninajirachi, You Am I, Pond, Ocean Alley, Underground Lovers, Montaigne, Confidence Man and The Wiggles creating and sharing RDS exclusives.
On the big day, all 400-plus exclusive releases, including local and international titles, will be available over the counter only at independent record shops.
There is still plenty more to come in 2026, with more Australian release announcements shortly, reps say.
Visit for recordstoreday.com.au for more.
