Seven artists have been confirmed for the 2026 edition of
War Child's Secret 7" record auction, with
John Lennon, The Last Dinner Party, Gabrielle, The Maccabees, Skin, Glass Animals and
Bastille all lending tracks to the fundraising campaign.
Now in its tenth year, the initiative presses each of the seven contributed songs 100 times onto seven-inch vinyl. Creatives from around the world - spanning artists, designers, and illustrators - then produce an original sleeve for each record, inspired by their chosen track. Every record becomes a unique collectible, with past editions featuring sleeve artwork from the likes of Ai Weiwei, Yoko Ono, Anish Kapoor, and Es Devlin. Crucially, neither the identity of the visual artist nor the track inside is revealed until after purchase, meaning bidders choose based purely on the sleeve design itself.
The seven songs selected span several decades. Lennon's contribution is 'Out the Blue' from the 1973 'Mind Games' album, while Gabrielle's 'Out of Reach' dates from 2001 and The Maccabees provide 2009's 'No Kind Words'. Skin's 'Purple' comes from her 2006 solo record 'Fake Chemical State', Glass Animals contribute 'Take a Slice' from 2016, and Bastille are represented by 2022's 'Hope For The Future'. The Last Dinner Party's 'Let's Do It Again!' is taken from the 'War Child HELP(2)' album.
Sleeve design submissions are open now through the Secret 7" website, closing on 1st June at 11:59PM. The resulting 700 sleeves will go on display at 180 Studios in London between 18th August and 30th August, with an online auction running from 18th August through to 2nd September.
Charlotte Nimmo, War Child's Fundraising and Engagement Director, says: "All of us at War Child are incredibly excited to be announcing the return of Secret 7" for its tenth edition. This year we've got some incredible tracks from some of the biggest names in music, all to help raise funds for War Child's work. Right now over 520 million children have had their lives impacted by conflict worldwide. The need has never been so great and it is increasing daily. We hope that, through this creative endeavour, we can offer music and art fans something truly unique to take home that brings them joy when they see and listen, and know that they helped have a tangible impact on children's lives in the process."
Over its nine previous editions, the project has generated more than £900,000 for War Child, with every penny raised going directly towards the charity's programmes supporting children whose lives have been affected by conflict. Additional details regarding contributing visual artists and the public exhibition are expected in the coming weeks.
