Reggae & Dub Record Shops in London
Jamaican pressings, 45s and the city that made reggae its own
Few cities outside Kingston hold reggae the way London does. This is where the Windrush generation brought Jamaican music, where sound systems turned it into street culture, where Notting Hill Carnival puts it back at the centre every year. Buying reggae in London isn't chasing a niche — it's stepping into a living tradition. Here's where to do it.
London, reggae's second capital
From 1948, the Windrush generation carried more than people across from the Caribbean — it carried a whole sound culture. By the 1970s that culture had its own sound systems, its dubplates, its London labels, and a map running from Brixton to Ladbroke Grove. Reggae didn't arrive in London as an exotic import: it put down roots and grew a scene of its own.
The most visible expression of all this is Notting Hill Carnival every late August — sound systems in the street, selectors hunting the right tune in the days beforehand, a demand for vinyl you can feel around Camden and the west. For reggae collectors it's the week the shops are at their best, and empty out fastest.
Behind Carnival sits a dense network: the sound systems of Brixton, Hackney and Ladbroke Grove, the crews who pass down records and rigs, a bass culture that fed everything from dub to jungle. It's that network that keeps the demand for reggae vinyl alive in London twelve months a year, not just at the end of August — and it's why the right shops carry such deep catalogues.
From 1948, the Windrush generation carried more than people across from the Caribbean — it carried a whole sound culture. By the 1970s that culture had its own sound systems, its dubplates, its London labels, and a map running from Brixton to Ladbroke Grove. Reggae didn't arrive in London as an exotic import: it put down roots and grew a scene of its own.
The most visible expression of all this is Notting Hill Carnival every late August — sound systems in the street, selectors hunting the right tune in the days beforehand, a demand for vinyl you can feel around Camden and the west. For reggae collectors it's the week the shops are at their best, and empty out fastest.
Behind Carnival sits a dense network: the sound systems of Brixton, Hackney and Ladbroke Grove, the crews who pass down records and rigs, a bass culture that fed everything from dub to jungle. It's that network that keeps the demand for reggae vinyl alive in London twelve months a year, not just at the end of August — and it's why the right shops carry such deep catalogues.
Where to buy reggae and dub in London
Out On The Floor (10 Inverness Street, Camden) is the unavoidable first stop: a reggae and ska specialist before anything else, with one of the most serious stocks of original-press Jamaican vinyl in the UK and the Tuff Scout label running from the basement. On Carnival weekend it's traditionally mobbed by selectors flying in from around the world. If you're after reggae in London, start here.
Honest Jon's (278 Portobello Road, Notting Hill) folds reggae into a wider curation alongside soul, funk and world, and runs a label with reference reissues of its own. Eldica (8 Bradbury Street, Dalston) closes the circle for rarity diggers: reggae, calypso and the edges of Caribbean music, priced to reward patience. Always check the hours before you go.
Out On The Floor (10 Inverness Street, Camden) is the unavoidable first stop: a reggae and ska specialist before anything else, with one of the most serious stocks of original-press Jamaican vinyl in the UK and the Tuff Scout label running from the basement. On Carnival weekend it's traditionally mobbed by selectors flying in from around the world. If you're after reggae in London, start here.
Honest Jon's (278 Portobello Road, Notting Hill) folds reggae into a wider curation alongside soul, funk and world, and runs a label with reference reissues of its own. Eldica (8 Bradbury Street, Dalston) closes the circle for rarity diggers: reggae, calypso and the edges of Caribbean music, priced to reward patience. Always check the hours before you go.
What to look for: Jamaican pressings and the seven-inch
In reggae the ruling format is the 45, often in pre form — the white-label pre-release cuts sound systems ran as exclusives. Original Jamaican pressings are the heart of the collecting: sometimes rough, pressed in small runs, but that's where the true sound lives. Inspect condition closely, because these records have been played, and hard.
Alongside the originals, British reissue labels — Trojan and on down — and catalogues like Honest Jon's own make a vast repertoire accessible. To judge when an original is worth it and when a good reissue will do, read our [original pressing vs reissue guide](/en/guides/original-pressing-vs-reissue/).
In reggae the ruling format is the 45, often in pre form — the white-label pre-release cuts sound systems ran as exclusives. Original Jamaican pressings are the heart of the collecting: sometimes rough, pressed in small runs, but that's where the true sound lives. Inspect condition closely, because these records have been played, and hard.
Alongside the originals, British reissue labels — Trojan and on down — and catalogues like Honest Jon's own make a vast repertoire accessible. To judge when an original is worth it and when a good reissue will do, read our [original pressing vs reissue guide](/en/guides/original-pressing-vs-reissue/).
Labels and the culture of the version
One thing sets the reggae 45 apart from almost everything else: the B-side. For decades the Jamaican single put the vocal on the A and the version — instrumental or dub — on the B, built specifically for the selector and the deejay to ride over. Buying reggae means learning to read that B-side, where the more interesting cut often hides.
On reissues, London is a goldmine: Trojan has kept half the Jamaican catalogue in print, Greensleeves wrote the dancehall story, and labels like Pressure Sounds, Soul Jazz and Honest Jon's itself have made otherwise unfindable rarities accessible. For originals, the historic geography is still Ladbroke Grove and Brixton; for curated reissues, the shops in this guide are the place to start.
One thing sets the reggae 45 apart from almost everything else: the B-side. For decades the Jamaican single put the vocal on the A and the version — instrumental or dub — on the B, built specifically for the selector and the deejay to ride over. Buying reggae means learning to read that B-side, where the more interesting cut often hides.
On reissues, London is a goldmine: Trojan has kept half the Jamaican catalogue in print, Greensleeves wrote the dancehall story, and labels like Pressure Sounds, Soul Jazz and Honest Jon's itself have made otherwise unfindable rarities accessible. For originals, the historic geography is still Ladbroke Grove and Brixton; for curated reissues, the shops in this guide are the place to start.
Who this page is for
Anyone in London serious about reggae, dub, ska or roots: Jamaican-pressing collectors, sound-system selectors, hunters of pre 45s. If you'd rather have the whole city mapped, start with our [London record shops guide](/en/groove/vinyl-cities/02-london/).
Anyone in London serious about reggae, dub, ska or roots: Jamaican-pressing collectors, sound-system selectors, hunters of pre 45s. If you'd rather have the whole city mapped, start with our [London record shops guide](/en/groove/vinyl-cities/02-london/).
Out On The Floor in Camden is the first stop, for the quantity and quality of its Jamaican pressings; add Honest Jon's for curation and Eldica for rarities. Three addresses, one tradition.
Where can I buy reggae vinyl in London?
Out On The Floor in Camden is the go-to reggae and ska specialist, strong on original-press Jamaican vinyl. Honest Jon's on Portobello Road pairs reggae with soul and world music, while Eldica in Dalston is excellent for Caribbean rarities.
Where do I find original Jamaican pressings in London?
The best concentration is at Out On The Floor in Camden, one of the UK's reference points for vintage Jamaican vinyl. For the rarest 45s, go on a weekday, when there's less competition from selectors.
Why is London so important for reggae and sound-system culture?
The Windrush generation brought Jamaican music to London from 1948, and sound systems turned it into street culture, peaking at Notting Hill Carnival. That's why the city has reggae shops as deep as almost anywhere outside the Caribbean.
