Ballymena spins back to vinyl glory as record fair returns as part of one day festival of SOUND

Love Ballymena
Aug 14
3 min read

Ballymena’s long-missed record fair tradition is making a much-anticipated return on Saturday 16 August, with a pop-up event at the Braid Arts Centre promising a day of nostalgia, crate-digging and community spirit for music lovers across Mid and East Antrim.

Running from 11am to 4pm in the venue’s light-filled Atrium Space – instantly recognisable from its large front windows where the Christmas lights shine each winter – the fair will see up to 20 tables stacked high with vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, and music memorabilia from some of Northern Ireland’s top independent sellers.

Every genre will be represented, from classic rock and soul to jazz, punk, pop, country and beyond.

The event forms part of the SOUND – One Day Festival, an ambitious cultural project pairing Mid and East Antrim Borough with Waterford City and County Council in a cross-border celebration of music, heritage, and the art of listening.

Reviving Ballymena’s record culture of Track Records & Fairhill Records

For organiser Joe Rocks, the return of a Ballymena record fair is more than just an event – it’s a personal milestone.

“I vividly remember flicking through boxes and boxes of records in what is now used as the council chamber!” he said, recalling his first experience at the old Town Hall record fairs of the late 1990s.

That spark led Joe, in 2013, to invite a local seller into his vintage shop for Record Store Day. The small display proved such a hit that within weeks, Track Records was born. Over four years and several location moves, the shop became a local hub for vinyl enthusiasts before Joe handed over the reins to fellow record lover Johnny Homes in 2017.

Johnny rebranded the store as Fairhill Records, extending its run for another six years before closing.

For a decade, the two shops kept vinyl alive in Ballymena. But since Fairhill’s closure, there’s been no dedicated record retailer in town – until now.

Joe hopes this one-day fair will both reconnect old regulars and introduce a new generation to the tactile joys of physical music formats.

“We hope to see all the familiar faces who we both enjoyed chatting to over the decade of serving records in town. We’re also hoping this fair will be an introduction for a host of new buyers who may have picked up an interest in vinyl due to the continued resurgence.”

The thrill of the unexpected

While online shopping has made finding specific albums easier than ever, Joe insists there’s no substitute for the record fair experience.

“Nothing beats coming down and having a look. I’ve always left a record fair with something that wouldn’t have been in my head to buy walking in.

“The visual nature of records and their sleeves means that something will always catch your eye – and once you’ve picked it up, it’s very hard to put it down and back into the pile.”

This serendipity is exactly what Joe hopes will keep visitors browsing for hours – a throwback to the golden age of Saturday afternoons spent flicking through LPs in independent shops.

More Than Just Records

Listening experience: The Braid Auditorium

The fair is one highlight in a packed SOUND Festival programme, which invites the public to explore sound in fresh and surprising ways:

Sound Bath in Nature – 10am–1pm, People’s Park

Led by Sound Therapist Practitioner Sound & Soul, these outdoor sessions use therapeutic vibrations to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and encourage deep listening.

Midtown Sounds Musicians Meet Up – 1pm–3pm, Midtown Makers

A friendly networking and jam session for local musicians. Bring your instrument, meet new collaborators, and swap ideas.

Immersive Listening Experience – 3pm–7pm, Braid Arts Centre Theatre

Audience members take control of the playlist, hearing their chosen songs in a 400-seat theatre through a professional PA system – a rare chance to feel the full sonic power of favourite tracks.

The SOUND project has already seen successful musician exchanges between Mid and East Antrim and Waterford, but this is the first time the partnership has ventured into such a varied programme of sound-based events.