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.
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.”
easyJet 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.
