Nil Points? Not Moi! Young Brits Embrace Eurovision

Research from airline easyJet points to a new generation of euro-pop superfans, who have recreated the competition’s most iconic looks

• Official Airline of the Eurovision Song Contest easyJet has revealed a new generation of superfans, with 90% of British children planning to watch the live shows this year
• Two-thirds (66%) of Brits say the contest is inspiring younger generations to learn more about different cultures, languages and visit new places
• The airline is celebrating this year’s contest with young UK superfans recreating iconic Eurovision looks from Lordi, Sam Ryder and ABBA
• Spain, Italy and Switzerland are among the most popular adopted nations that young fans will support this year
• Top 10 most iconic Eurovision looks as voted for by British kids revealed

From sequins to sky-high vocals – Eurovision is inspiring a new generation of culture vultures who are becoming au fait with different countries  and customs thanks to the world’s most iconic song contest.

Research commissioned ahead of this year’s competition in Basel by easyJet, the Official Airline of the Eurovision Song Contest, finds Eurovision fever is well and truly alive in Gen Z and even younger, and inspiring a new generation of wanderlusters.

Over 90% of children plan to watch at least some of Eurovision this year and two-thirds (66%) of adults say the contest is influencing younger generations to learn more about different cultures and inspiring a desire to visit new places across the continent.

A further 57% per cent of mini-fans say they will support an ‘adopted country’ during the contest, after being inspired to learn more about its culture, language and style.

Spain has emerged as the most popular ‘adopted’ Eurovision nation among British youngsters, followed by Italy and Switzerland.

The research finds that six in ten say the contest, with its broad range of style and celebration of European cultures, has taught them more about European geography and even led them to discover nations previously unknown to them (60%).

Over half (55%) of youngsters have wanted to visit new countries on the back of the song contest, while 43% say they have even delved into learning new languages. 

The most popular countries kids would like to travel to, based on watching Eurovision, are Italy (36%), Spain (27%) and host nation Switzerland (26%), with Norway (21%) and Croatia (17%) rounding off the top five.

Reflecting the nation’s love of the contest, Google trends data also shows searches for ‘Bara bada bastu’ have rocketed since the 2025 favourites KAJ debuted their new song, which means ‘Let’s Just Sauna’ in English. 

The so-called ‘Sam Ryder effect’ – named after the UK’s highest-scoring Eurovision entrant of all time – could also be one of the factors fuelling popularity in the competition among younger audiences.

Since his iconic 2022 Space Man performance that catapulted the UK back to Eurovision glory, 70% of children say they are Eurovision fans.

With nearly half (46%) of young fans saying the different costumes are their favourite part of the competition, easyJet is celebrating the upcoming competition in Basel by re-creating Eurovision’s most unforgettable looks with some of its youngest superfans.

The re-imagined acts include: Lordi’s monster metal moment, Abba’s glitzy 70s glam, and Sam Ryder’s now-legendary sparkly space-inspired jumpsuit.

Top 10 iconic Eurovision looks as voted for by British children are:

1. Sam Ryder (Great Britain, 2022) (47%)
2. Abba (Sweden, 1974) (33%)
3. Subwoolfer (Norway, 2022) (31%)
4. Lordi (Finland, 2006) (29%)
5. Tix (Norway, 2021) (24%)
6. Jedward (Ireland, 2012) (21%)
7. Loreen (Sweden 2012 and 2023) (19%)
8. Jamie Lee (Germany, 2016) (15%)
9. Nemo (Switzerland, 2024) (15%)
10. Pirates of the Sea (Latvia, 2008) (14%)

The Top 10 destinations in Europe kids would like to visit after being inspired by their Eurovision entries are:

1. Italy (36%)
2. Spain  (27%)
3. Switzerland (26%)
4. Norway (21%)
5. Croatia (17%)
6. Denmark (16%)
7. France (16%)
8. Greece (14%)
9. Germany (13%)
10. Netherlands (12%)

Michael Brown, easyJet’s Director of Cabin Services, said: “Kids across the country are totally tuned in to Eurovision and it’s fantastic to see how it’s inspiring the next generation to learn more about the vibrant and varied cultures and places across Europe.

“As the largest airline in Basel, we’re incredibly proud to be flying more visitors to the city throughout the contest than any other airline and, connecting fans from across the UK and Europe and celebrating what makes Eurovision such a unique and unifying event.”

Martin Green CBE, ESC Director, said: "The Eurovision Song Contest is about more than music – it’s a calling and a celebration of creativity, diversity, and culture. It’s thrilling to see younger people embrace this spirit, as they discover the magic of Eurovision and explore new cultures.”

Franklin, aged 6, said: "I love Eurovision because it’s so much fun! Dressing up like my favourite Eurovision performers, like Sam Ryder, makes me feel like I’m part of the show. I can’t wait to watch the Grand Final and see all the amazing performances this year!”

easyJet is the largest airline in Basel and will fly over 47,000 visitors from across Europe during this year’s contest into Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Airport, where the live semi-finals and Grand Final will take place on 13, 15, and 17 May. The airline will operate 6,000 more seats to and from Basel compared to the same time last year.

For further information, please contact the easyJet Press Office via medicentre.easyJet.com/contacts or on 01582 525252

About easyJet

easyJet is one of Europe’s largest airlines offering a unique and winning combination of the best route network connecting Europe’s primary airports with great value fares and friendly service. easyJet flies on more of Europe’s most popular routes than any other airline and carried more than 100 million passengers in 2024. The airline has over 340 aircraft flying on over 1,000 routes to more than 160 airports across 35 countries. Over 300 million Europeans live within one hour’s drive of an easyJet airport.

easyJet aims to be a good corporate citizen, employing people on local contracts in nine countries across Europe in full compliance with national laws and recognising their trade unions. The airline supports several local charities and has a corporate partnership with UNICEF which has raised over £17m for the most vulnerable children since it was established in 2012.

In 2022, easyJet published its roadmap to net zero by 2050. The roadmap, which also features a combination of fleet renewal, operational efficiencies, airspace modernisation, Sustainable Aviation Fuel and carbon removal technology, has set an ambitious interim carbon emissions intensity reduction target of 35% by 2035, validated by the Science-based targets initiative (SBTi). The airline’s ultimate aim is to fully transition its fleet to zero carbon emission technology, which it will achieve through a number of strategic partnerships including with Airbus, Rolls-Royce and GKN Aerospace Solutions. Since 2000, the airline has successfully reduced its carbon emissions per passenger, per kilometre by one-third and is the number 1 ESG rated airline in Europe by Sustainalytics, MSCI and CDP.

Innovation is in easyJet’s DNA – since launching nearly 30 years ago, easyJet changed the way people fly to the present day where the airline leads the industry in digital and operational innovations to make travel more easy and affordable for its passengers. In 2023 easyJet was named by TIME as one of the World’s Best Companies and a Leader in Diversity 2024 by The Financial Times.