War Child has unveiled details of the 10th edition of its Secret 7” record auction for 2026.
The auction raises money to support the organisation’s work delivering specialist mental health support, immediate aid, education and protection to some of the world’s most vulnerable children.
John Lennon, The Last Dinner Party, Gabrielle, The Maccabees, Skin, Glass Animals and Bastille are confirmed as the musical talent offering their tracks for this year’s campaign.
The John Lennon track is Out the Blue from 1973’s Mind Games album, along with The Last Dinner Party’s Let’s Do It Again! from the recent War Child Help(2) album, Gabrielle’s 2001 hit Out of Reach and The Maccabees’ 2009 track No Kind Words.
This year’s line-up also includes Skin’s Purple from her 2006 solo album Fake Chemical State, Glass Animals’ 2016 track Take a Slice, and Bastille’s 2022 song Hope For The Future. The seven tracks are available to listen to here.
Each song is being pressed just 100 times onto seven-inch vinyl, creating 700 limited-edition 7” records. Artists, designers, illustrators and creatives from around the world then create a completely original sleeve inspired by a track of their choice, turning each vinyl disc into a one-of-a-kind collectible. Previous editions have included sleeves by Ai Weiwei, Yoko Ono, Anish Kapoor, and Es Devlin.
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
Charlotee Nimmo
Visual artists can submit designs for sleeves now via the Secret 7” website. Artworks can be anything artists want, as long as the design is inspired by their interpretation of their chosen song. Submissions close on June 1, 2026 at 11:59pm.
All 700 record sleeve designs will be exhibited at 180 Studios, London from August 18-30, 2026, and will be available to purchase via an online auction until September 2, 2026.
The artists' identities and the track inside remain a mystery until the record is in the hands of the buyer. Fans bid for the record sleeve they love, with the track and visual artist behind the sleeves revealed once the auction ends.
Across nine editions to date, Secret 7” has raised more than £900,000, with 100% of proceeds going directly to War Child’s work.
War Child’s fundraising and engagement director, Charlotte Nimmo, said: "All of us at War Child are incredibly excited to be announcing the return of Secret 7” for its 10th 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.”
Secret 7” 2026 tracklist:
John Lennon – Out the Blue
The Last Dinner Party – Let’s Do It Again!
Gabrielle – Out of Reach
The Maccabees – No Kind Words
Skin – Purple
Glass Animals – Take a Slice
Bastille – Hope For The Future
