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Are Young Europeans Planning to Watch Eurovision?

Eurovision is right around the corner, but with country withdrawals and boycotts, are young Europeans planning to tune in?

Written and Edited by the YPulse Editorial Team

May 6 2026
Western Europe

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Headlines have been piling up about countries withdrawing and artists boycotting Eurovision amid tensions surrounding Israel
Most young Europeans aren’t planning to watch, but it’s driven by a lack of interest than active boycotting
Even so, many will likely still follow the contest online through clips, memes, and social media reactions

We’re officially one week out from the Eurovision semifinals, and millions of fans across Europe—and even Australia—are getting ready to tune in to see if their country can take home the trophy. But this year’s contest is set to feel a little different. Several countries, including Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain won’t be participating due to disagreeing with Israel’s participation in the competition. Online, European Gen Z isn’t any happier about the situation. One creator on TikTok shared, “I’m so mad eurovision isn’t based bc I used to look forward to it more than christmas.” And another creator (with 376K views and 62.5K likes) said, “Slovenia not only pulling out of Eurovision but now won’t even broadcast it, instead airing the film series ‘voices of Palestine’ is something every country should be doing.” Pressure has been building for years on the competition’s organizers European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to ban Israel from competing, particularly during the 2024 and 2025 contests. And while those shows ultimately went on as...