EMP 40: LIVE LOUD SINCE 1986!

Over the past 40 years, EMP has grown into a true home for fans of rock, metal, pop culture and gaming – thanks to you and our amazing EMP crew. For four decades, we’ve been delivering band T-shirts, vinyl, CDs, merch and unapologetic fashion. This year, we’re celebrating four decades packed with passion and unforgettable moments.

Celebrate decades of authenticity and pure love for metal, rock and countless subcultures with us – always true to our motto “By fans, for fans.” Since 1986, we’ve been delivering the right sound and style, from cassette tapes all the way to streaming.

• Exclusive 40 YRS Rock Hand Stickers: Grab the limited-edition anniversary stickers.
• Exciting Interviews & Shoutouts: Look forward to in-depth interviews with your favourite bands, plus birthday messages from artists and long-time friends of EMP.
• Your Fam Shop since 1986: Discover our journey from a mail-order business to Europe’s biggest merch shop.
• More to be announced...

No birthday cake here – we celebrate loud!

Instead of politely blowing out candles, we crank the amps all the way up and celebrate the ultimate community riot for an entire year. We’ve dug deep into our archives and lined up exclusive specials to honour our shared history. Buckle up – here are our anniversary highlights:

Anniversary Exclusive: “40 Years of EMP” Rock Hand Stickers!

They’re the iconic symbol of our community: the legendary rock hand stickers. Over the years, they’ve decorated cars, laptops and guitar cases all around the world. To mark our 40th anniversary, the rock hand is back in a unique 40 YRS design. Heads up: the new designs will only be added to orders throughout 2026. This is your chance to snag a true collector’s item from EMP history. Don’t miss out on this cult moment!

Exclusive Interviews and Shoutouts

• IV DECADES OF PASSION

  EMP History Deep Dive with Metal.de: Together with the experts from Metal.de, we take a behind-the-scenes look at the past 40 years. In in-depth interviews, you’ll discover our wild beginnings and our journey to becoming Europe’s biggest fan shop. Pure history, delivered in true E-Mag style for real scene insiders.

• Throwback Forty

  Legacy Talks with Metal’s Biggest Legends: Get your full dose of nostalgia with the pioneers of metal. We sat down with the legends to talk about their early days and their connection to EMP. These exclusive retro interviews in our E-Mag are a must-read for every headbanger.

• Mixtape Memories

  The next generation meets the sound of the ’80s. Young bands reveal in our video podcast how the golden era of rock influences their style today. Watch the clips directly on our website.

• ShoutLouds!

  Your favourite bands turn it up and send massive video birthday shoutouts. Scroll through the ShoutLouds and celebrate with the stars of the scene. There’s plenty more to come, so stay tuned for new clips!

From Start-Up to Headliner: The EMP Milestones

On our timeline page, you’ll discover rare photos, key milestones from our mail-order days, and the story of how a simple idea grew into a European merchandise institution. This is 40 years of growth – By fans, for fans – and proof of our deep roots in the scene.

We invite you to explore EMP’s evolution in detail, from underground beginnings to Europe’s biggest merchandise shop: EMP timeline: experience our exciting company history since 1986!

To mark our birthday, we’ll be bringing you awesome content and special campaigns throughout the year. Follow us on our social media channels and subscribe to the EMP newsletter so you don’t miss a single highlight of our anniversary celebrations!