UMusic Shop Camden is launching the UMusic Bar inside its store in the Stables Market at Camden Market, alongside a partnership with audio brand Victrola that introduces dedicated vinyl listening stations bringing together music discovery, vinyl culture and in-store experiences.
The bar will officially launch on Friday 30 October from 6pm to 9pm, ahead of a Stevie Wonder takeover at the store that begins on 2 November. The launch evening will celebrate Stevie Wonder’s music with DJ sets and vinyl listening, with London Sound Academy providing the DJ sets.
The new listening stations use Victrola’s Automatic Turntable, which starts and finishes a record at the touch of a button, so visitors can pick an album, press play and listen. Guidance will be on hand for anyone new to vinyl, whether it is their first record or their thousandth.
The Victrola range in the store is built around different kinds of listener, from fans who want to play their first record as soon as they get home to collectors rediscovering CDs and cassettes alongside vinyl, and those creating a dedicated listening space at home. Visitors can try the turntables at the UMusic Bar, and Victrola products will remain on sale at UMusic Shop Camden beyond the launch.
The bar and listening stations add to the store’s programme of artist takeovers, exclusive merchandise and music-led experiences, giving visitors more reason to spend time in the store beyond a traditional retail visit.
The UMusic Bar opens ahead of the store’s first anniversary in December. UMusic Shop Camden is laid out as a series of zones, including a specialist vinyl shop, a listening studio, a vinyl lounge, a main performance stage and a merchandise space, and has hosted artist showcases, takeovers and fan events drawn from Universal Music’s roster.
Highlights from its first year include a takeover marking 30 years of JAY-Z’s career, which offered limited-edition merchandise alongside an Armand de Brignac bar and a line-up of DJs, as well as a dedicated Olivia Rodrigo fan experience.
The store also staged a full takeover celebrating Bon Jovi, which highlighted the band’s collaboration with the TGR Haas F1 Team and featured a real TGR Haas F1 car in the store.
Victrola, whose history dates back to 1906, is a global audio company making turntables and audio products for listening at home.
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