BRITs Week presented by Mastercard for War Child Announces 2023 money raised

23 May 2023 - Press release

£411,000 raised for War Child from 15 intimate shows in London, Manchester, Bristol & Glasgow 

Taking the combined total to over £5,500,000 since BRITs Week’s inception in 2009

 

BRITs Week presented by Mastercard for War Child proudly announces details of the money raised from this year’s series. An incredible £411,000 was raised from the 15 shows, which took place across the country in January and February, with all proceeds going towards War Child’s phenomenal work to help children whose lives have been torn apart by war. It takes the amount raised for War Child by BRITs Week, since its inception in 2009, to over £5,500,000.

BRITs Week presented by Mastercard for War Child gives fans the opportunity to see some of the biggest and most exciting names in music in intimate venues across the UK, whilst raising money for War Child. This year the series visited the most cities yet, with gigs in London, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow. It branched out further than ever musically too, taking in shows from Beabadoobee, Bob Vylan, Cavetown, easy life, Frank Turner + The Sleeping Souls, Kojey Radical, Louis Dunford, Metronomy, Rina Sawayama, Sea Girls, Sugababes, The Hunna, The 1975, The Snuts and Years & Years, all of whom kindly agreed to support the cause. The 1975’s show at Manchester’s Gorilla saw the biggest number of prize drawer entries of any BRITs Week show in history.  

BRITs Week is produced by AEG Presents and theBPI with proceeds going to War Child, the charity for children affected by conflict. The event series is sponsored by Mastercard, headline sponsor of The BRIT Awards. 

Proceeds from the shows help to support War Child’s work that aims to reach children as early as possible when conflict breaks out and stay to support them through their recovery - keeping them safe, helping them learn and cope with their experiences, and equipping them with skills for the future.War Child’s Emergency Aid Fund distributes money to their programmes around the world where it’s needed most urgently, including Ukraine and the recent devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. Support from the BRITs Week series enables them to adapt to the fast-changing needs on the ground. The charity celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

Jim Benner, Global Music Lead at War Child says "We are thrilled to announce that the 2023 BRITs Week series has raised an impressive £411K, which will help us provide vital aid and support to children living in conflict zones across 15 countries. This year marked a significant milestone for us, as we took the event on the road to four cities across the UK – London, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow.

We would like to thank our partners – The BPI, AEG and Mastercard – for their unwavering support, without which the success of this year's series would not have been possible. The BRITs Week series has raised over £4m to date.

As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we are faced with an even greater challenge than before. Together with our partners, we remain committed to creating safe spaces for children to play, learn and access vital psychological support. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who contributed to the success of the 2023 BRITs Week series and helped us continue our essential work. Thank you for your support."

Maggie Crowe OBE, BPI’s Director of Events & Charities says “Music impacts us all. The BRITs Week shows are the epitome of great music performed across the UK, where artists and fans come together through the power of music to have the most joyful time whilst also raising funds for the vital work of War Child. Our sincere thanks go to everyone who made this wonderful result possible, not least the brilliant artists and their labels and all the partners involved.” 

Simon Jones, Senior Vice President, Live Music International, at AEG says “The support that BRITs Week for War Child has continued to get over the years has always been incredible, and this year is no exception.  We were able to go further across the UK this time too and spreading the message on War Child’s vital work for an incredibly important cause. I’d like to thank the amazingly talented artists and our brilliant partners for all their hard work in making it such a success.”

Agnes Woolrich, VP Marketing & Communications, Mastercard UK and Ireland says: “In our 25th year as headline sponsor of The BRIT Awards, our aim is to celebrate music, shine a light on emerging talent and continue to bring fans closer to the artists and music they love whilst helping those in need.  We were incredibly proud to support this year’s series of unique BRITs Week performances and delighted to play a part in raising funds for War Child”