How Gen-Z became Eurovision's biggest fans

08/05/2024

The European song contest has managed to captivate and grow young audience
READ MORE: Eurovision fans are ‘blown away’ by Ireland’s Bambie Thug as the singer delivers gothic showstopping performance

Eurovision may initially spark visions of ABBA in their heyday and witty quips from 61-year-old broadcast star Graham Norton – but the singing competition’s fanbase appears to be, increasingly so, staunchly made up by Gen Z viewers.

While the show has attracted controversy for its political stances in recent years, it’s undeniable that more and more young people are tuning in and engaging with the programme, which has become revered for its commitment to flamboyance and extravagant campness.

According to the BBC, 162 million people tuned in to watch the finale in Liverpool last year – and Gen Z was the demographic that ‘dominated’.

Musical acts like Måneskin – who won for Italy in 2021 and are all, three years later, still in their early twenties – have found found huge success appeared to first signal the shifting tide of a Eurovision era dominated by the young.

Social media fell in love with the punky rock act, and their song ZITTI E BUONI.

how gen-z became eurovision's biggest fans

‘Måneskin are the first Gen Z Eurovision Song Contest winners,’ TikToker @emmarleneb shared that year. ‘The power out generation holds.’

‘Thinking about the fact that Gen Z just won Eurovision,’ @yourlocaltaurus shared shortly after their victory. ‘As they should.’

As of today, the group is still hugely successful – and lead vocalist Damiano David, 25, made a glamorous appearance at this week’s Met Gala with his A-lister girlfriend Dove Cameron.

Elsewhere the UK’s Sam Ryder, 34 – the singer who finished as runner-up to Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra during the show in Turin, Italy in 2022, and gave the United Kingdom its best result in the contest in decades – initially shot to fame thanks to Gen Z’s favourite app, TikTok.

He created lockdown covers on the video-sharing platform and wowed international audiences with his hit Space Man.

And Eurovision’s decades-long acceptance and celebration of LGBTQ+ performers has also made it stand out to younger viewers – in 1998, Israel’s Dana International made history by being the first openly trans person to compete in Eurovision.

In 2014, drag queen Conchita Wurst, of Austria, won after an emotional performance that below audiences away.

Meanwhile, last night’s Semi Final also saw the contest bringing forth a flurry of acts beloved by young viewers for their unique stylings, experimental aesthetics and theatrical performances.

Bambie Thug, 31, a non-binary artist from County Cork, delivered a showstopping performance of their song Doomsday Blue as they sang while performing a ritual surrounded by candles and were joined on stage by a male dancer wearing demonic makeup and fake teeth

Also joining Ireland in the final are Lithuania’s Silvester Belt, Finland’s Windows95man, Cyprus’ Silia Kapsis, Luxembourg’s TALI, and Croatia’s Baby Lasagna (pictured), who are also a firm fan favourite

Taking to the stage with an extraordinary performance, Ireland are straight through to the final with many viewers even predicting it could win the contest.

Bambie Thug immediately began trending on X/Twitter during the show with many viewers praising the standout performance.

Also joining Ireland in the final are Serbia’s TEYA DORA, Portugal’s iolanda, Slovenia’s Raiven and Ukraine’s alyona alyona & Jerry Heil.

As well as Lithuania’s Silvester Belt, Finland’s Windows95man, Cyprus’ Silia Kapsis, Luxembourg’s TALI, and Croatia’s Baby Lasagna, who are also a firm fan favourite.

Meanwhile Olly Alexander gave it his all for the first performance of his catchy tune Dizzy.

The Years and Years singer, 33, who’s representing Great Britain, was joined by group of hunky shirtless backup dancers as they performed the explosive number.

With the help of some clever camera work, Olly and his dancers appeared to be spinning around and walking on the ceiling in the jam-packed performance.

And the fans’ love of the competition even goes into the fictional realm – with Will Ferrell bolstering support for the event in his 2020 Netflix film, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga

TikToker @emmarleneb shared their love for the group after their win

‘Thinking about the fact that Gen Z just won Eurovision,’ @yourlocaltaurus shared shortly after their victory

According to the BBC , 162 million people tuned in to watch the finale in Liverpool last year – and Gen Z was the demographic that ‘dominated’

Olly’s boxing themed routine, which is already guaranteed a place in Saturday’s Grand Final, saw him don a distressed vest and red trousers which was worn with a colour coordination jock strap over the top.

The comedian plays Icelandic man Lars Erickssong – who has been nuts about Eurovision since boyhood, when Abba’s performance of Waterloo dragged him out of his gloom over the death of his mother.

As of today, the Italian group is still hugely successful. Pictured after wining the contest in 2021

Lead vocalist Damiano David, 25, made a glamorous appearance at this week’s Met Gala with his A-lister girlfriend Dove Cameron

With his elf-obsessed best friend Sigrit Ericksdottir (Rachel McAdams), he forms a pop duo, Fire Saga. They yearn to represent Iceland in the forthcoming contest, which is being held in Edinburgh. When all the other contenders mysteriously die in a huge explosion, they get their chance.

Lars’s fisherman father Erick (Pierce Brosnan) also joins the star-studded cast, along with Graham Norton gamely playing himself and Dan Stevens portraying the arrogant but fabulous Russian entrant Alexander Lemtov.

According to BBC Culture, ‘in the 34 markets measured by the EBU, 2022’s grand final attracted 56 per cent of the total TV audience aged 15 to 24 – a proportion four times higher than average’.

Presenter Rob Lilley – who also produces a Eurovision-themed podcast, The Euro Trip, told the outlet how the show’s format is inherently ‘Gen Z friendly’ because of attention-span maintaining measures, like the three-minute song duration limit.

Eurovision’s decades-long acceptance and celebration of LGBTQ+ performers has also made it stand out to younger viewers. In 2014, drag queen Conchita Wurst, of Austria, (pictured) won after an emotional performance that below audiences away

‘Viewers’ attention spans are shorter these days, but with Eurovision, there’s always something happening to grab your attention,’ he said.

‘Eurovision is well over 60 years old now, but in a way, it could almost have been designed with social media in mind.’

Song snippets from Eurovision have not only been catchy hits that hit the charts with increasing frequency in recent years – some audios have also gone viral as TikTok sounds too.

Daniel Rosney, who reports on Eurovision for the BBC, also told the outlet that the contest has been able to grow with the times.

‘I think the secret to the contest’s ongoing success is the way it’s been able to adapt so that it’s still a relevant contest for credible acts to compete in,’ he explained.

‘TikTok has changed things in some ways – like streaming platforms did before that.

‘It gives [Eurovision] artists a second chance at getting their songs heard.’