MM Spotlight: War Child on the BRITs Week series delivered by DHL – “There’s power in intimacy”

Every year, as the UK music industry prepares for its biggest night, War Child quietly does something remarkable, convincing some of the world’s most celebrated artists to play the kind of intimate shows they haven’t played in years. That’s the magic of BRITs Week, delivered by DHL – and in 2026, it’s bigger, bolder, and more important than ever.

With the BRIT Awards leaving London for the first time in its nearly 50-year history and heading to Manchester on 28th February, BRITs Week, delivered by DHL, has seized the moment to expand into a new era, with artists playing across more UK cities than ever before. From Newcastle to Brighton, Edinburgh to Nottingham, and of course Manchester itself, the series of one-off shows has spread across the country, bringing fans closer to the music they love and the cause it champions.

Since 2009, War Child has been staging shows around the BRIT Awards in partnership with the BPI and AEG, raising over £7.5 million to date – funds that go directly towards protecting children whose lives have been torn apart by conflict. All proceeds support War Child’s essential work providing aid, education, and specialist mental health support, while standing up for the rights of children devastatingly affected by war. 

This year’s lineup spans genres and generations, with Fatboy Slim and Lambrini Girls to Myles Smith, Jacob Alon, with Olivia Dean, Spiritualized, The K’s, and even Robbie Williams among those lending their names and their talent to the cause. The biggest artists playing their smallest shows – it’s a simple idea, but one that has proven, year after year, to be genuinely transformative.

As the spotlights turn towards Manchester and the countdown to the BRITs begins, we sat down with the Head of Live Music at War Child, Clare Sanders-Wright, to find out what makes BRITs Week such an extraordinary vehicle for change, and why, this year more than any other, the charity’s work deserves to be centre stage.

War Child does incredible, life-saving work year-round for children affected by conflict, but the BRITs Week series remains one of your most high-profile initiatives. Considering that the physical intimacy of these small-scale shows helps audiences connect with and understand the cause on a much deeper level, why is this specific week of live music so fundamentally important to the charity’s wider mission?

“For over three decades, War Child has worked hand in hand with the music industry, forging a relationship that feels as authentic today as it did at the very beginning. While our teams deliver life-saving support for children affected by conflict all year round, BRITs Week for War Child, delivered by DHL remains one of our most powerful and visible platforms.

BRITs Week gives War Child a huge cultural platform to speak directly to audiences through the artists they love. Music fans are often incredibly tuned in and socially aware. They care not only about the performer on stage but also about the wider story around the event. That creates a rare and valuable opportunity to talk openly about War Child’s work. From providing protection and education to delivering specialist psychological support, and advocating for the rights of children caught in conflict zones, we’re able to communicate our work to a room full of people where people are emotionally engaged.

Our BRITs Week shows aren’t just a fundraising mechanism. They’re a moment of amplification. Artists share the cause with their fanbases, fans carry that message forward, and the ripple effect extends far beyond the venue walls. In that sense, BRITs Week is both a celebration of music and a powerful reminder of its ability to mobilise compassion and action for a great cause”.

With the BRITs expanding their footprint across the UK in 2026, how has the geographical shift to cities like Manchester changed your approach to booking and community engagement for these shows?

“While War Child strives to host shows across the country every year – and we always have a couple of shows outside of London – the move of the BRIT Awards to Manchester has been transformative to our achieving this goal. The move means the geographical footprint of BRITs Week has grown exponentially. This year alone, we’ve been able to programme five shows in Manchester, as well as one in Edinburgh, one in Nottingham, one in Brighton, and we kicked off the series in Newcastle.

Being up and down the country is exhilarating. It allows War Child to build stronger regional relationships, engage with local communities and tap into vibrant music scenes that exist far beyond the capital”.

You often place global superstars in incredibly tiny, grassroots venues, so I’m curious what that juxtaposition does for the War Child brand that a standard arena show simply couldn’t achieve… do you find that this intimacy acts as a catalyst for the audience to truly ‘hear’ the War Child mission, rather than just ‘seeing’ a concert?”

“There’s power in intimacy. One of the most distinctive aspects of BRITs Week is the juxtaposition of global superstars performing in tiny, grassroots venues. It’s a sense of connection and awe that a standard arena show simply can’t replicate. Before each performance, someone from War Child takes a few moments to speak directly to the audience about our work and how people can continue to support. In a small room,that message lands differently. There’s a shared focus, an immediacy. Small shows are captivating and they facilitate a feeling that everyone’s in this together. In these intimate spaces, people truly engage with the mission behind why we put on our BRITs Week shows each year. The intimacy creates connection, and that connection often becomes a commitment to supporting the essential work War Child does in 14 countries around the world”.

Could you walk me through the journey of the money raised during BRITs Week, from the moment a fan enters the raffle to the impact it has on a child’s life in a conflict zone?

“The journey begins the moment a fan buys a ticket, enters a prize draw, or taps to donate at one of the shows. The net proceeds from each of these is channelled directly into the War Child Alliance foundation’s unrestricted funding surplus, where our team of experts in delivering our programmatic work consider agreed budgets and the latest updates from the conflict zones in which we work, to decide where they think that money can make the biggest impact. That can mean funding safe spaces where children can learn and play, training local educators and counsellors, providing specialist psychological first aid, reuniting families separated by violence, or providing immediate aid, all to some of the most vulnerable children in the world.

The money raised during BRITs Week helps War Child respond quickly in emergency situations while also investing in long-term recovery, ensuring children are not only protected in the moment, but given the tools they need to rebuild their lives. Thanks to artists not taking a fee, as well as partners like DHL, we’re able to cover the costs of putting on these shows so that as much of the money raised from ticket sales, donations, and prize draw entries as possible goes directly to supporting our vital work”.

Given the ongoing struggles of independent venues in the UK, do you see BRITs Week as a way to also shine a spotlight on the importance of these cultural spaces that are often the lifeblood of the industry?

“Absolutely! Independent venues across the UK are facing significant challenges, and the sense of togetherness, as well as the money that BRITs Week raises each year to support our vital work each year serves as an example of how important these cultural spaces are. Without grassroots venues, there would be no rich pipeline of musical talent in the UK. Every major artist starts somewhere, and those early-stage rooms are where creativity is nurtured and communities are built.

Smaller, independent venues can’t be forgotten and we couldn’t be more grateful to every single venue and their teams for supporting our BRITs Week shows each year. By placing major acts back into these intimate settings, BRITs Week not only raises essential funds but we hope also shines a spotlight to support these incredible venues”.

Aside from, of course, BRITs Week, how can people support the amazing influential work that War Child does throughout the whole year?

“BRITs Week for War Child, Delivered by DHL may be a standout moment, but there are countless ways to support War Child and our work throughout the year. The simplest starting point is to support via the War Child website, follow us on social media, and join the mailing list to stay informed about upcoming events and campaigns. War Child hosts music-ledinitiatives all year, and supporters will often find the team set up at festivals and live events around the country.

Engagement is key. By connecting with War Child’s channels, supporters can discover exciting fundraising projects spanning art, music, gaming and more, as well as opportunities to lend their voices to our advocacy efforts on behalf of children caught in conflict zones. The message is simple: Stay engaged, and we will show you how you can help us make a difference”.

All proceeds from the shows go towards War Child’s essential work providing aid, education, specialist mental health support, and more while standing up for the rights of children whose lives have been devastatingly affected by war. Right now, it’s the deadliest time in history to be a child. 1 in 5 children globally (over 520 million) are currently affected by war. But there is hope. With support from music fans, War Child can help children put the pieces back together. By joining the charity for the intimate, one-off performances of some of their favourite artists, fans will be directly contributing to helping War Child rebuild children’s lives.

For more information on how to support War Child and their endeavours all year round, visit their website here.