Eurovision 2025: More than just a music contest

The Eurovision Song Contest is an extraordinary feat of international cooperation. It’s a litmus test for political and cultural acceptance of the countries that enter. And it’s a label-defying, genre mash-up of music. One thing’s for certain - it’s always more than just a music contest. 

Through its impact on music trends, changing fan base and place in our culture, we explore what Eurovision was, is and has yet to become. 

 

Eurovision’s relationship to music trends 

Eurovision has always been a beautiful contradiction. It’s both a cheesy reflection of past music styles and, at times, a surprising barometer for future trends in popular music.

Viewing can feel strangely anachronistic when faced with trance-style entries like Belgium’s 2025 offering “Strobe Lights”. While at the same time, it’s possible to see within it the electro resurgence in popular culture.

The famous Terry Wogan line about the contest, “the worse it is, the more fun it is,” also brilliantly captures our human instinct to find disastrous scenes strangely compelling. We all enjoy the schadenfreude of a high-stakes fumble on the international stage when a performance painfully misses the mark of what’s considered “cool”, as much as we love seeing an act absolutely nail it.

But while there are meme-worthy bungles, there are also brilliantly produced songs. Who can deny the catchiness of Gina G’s ‘97 entry “Ooh Aah” which absolutely matched the popularity of euro-pop at the time, while Georgia’s jazz fusion entry from 2014, “Three Minutes to Earth”, while well-crafted, absolutely didn’t.

Every year brings every genre available - whether it’s considered hot or not. Eurovision refuses to fit any single mould and that’s possibly the secret to its enduring appeal. 

 

Its ability to predict the next big thing

Eurovision can also be a launchpad for future stars and put the brakes on a budding career.

ABBA’s 1974 win with “Waterloo” catapulted these national artists to international stardom. Post-competition success also found Katrina and the Waves after their 1997 appearance and Lordi after 2006.

At the other end of the spectrum sits pop duo Jemini, who came in last with ‘nil pois’ for their entry “Cry Baby”. They were subsequently dropped by their record label and disappeared from the public stage.

However, Eurovision is fickle in its affection, even for real talent. A lesser known drop-out of the national “heat” stages occurred for Elton John and Bernie Taupin before they rose to fame. Their song “I can’t go on living without you” came last in the 1969 UK final.

Does Eurovision ever get it exactly right as an engine for spotting the next big thing? Sometimes it’s close. The famous Italian song “Nel blu depinto de blu” (more commonly known as “Volare”), received third place in the Eurovision contest in 1958, and won both Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the Grammys the following year.

But this also begs the question: Is the Eurovision machine itself a hit-maker?

The internet and social media have driven greater awareness of and access to Eurovision music, but it has also propelled its reach and popularity. The numbers leave no question about the impact a Eurovision entry can have on subsequent listener trends.

According to the official Eurovision site:

• 9 entries from 2024 ranked in the ESNS Radar Radio Airplay Chart Top 100.
• 35 songs from last year's contest made Apple Music's Daily top 100 in 57 countries.
• The official Eurovision playlist on Spotify was the most-streamed playlist globally after the 2024 final.

 

Eurovision’s impact on culture

The original objective of the contest was to test the possibility of broadcasting across multiple nations, but this has since expanded to something far more culturally significant. 

An accepted place in this European community has come to signify that a nation is inclusive, tolerant and standing in cultural solidarity with member nations, and many have used the platform to further this message.

Eurovision has been particularly effective at representing LGBTQ+ identities, issues and sexual liberation.

Conchita Wurst is a notable entry. Her drag queen persona, complete with beard and glittery fishtail dress, was a symbol of the freedom of expression and acceptance.

There has also been representation across the wider LGBTQ+ community, as seen with trans artist and 1998 winner Dana International from Israel and Swiss, non-binary artist and 2024 winner Nemo.

And who can forget Scooch’s perhaps less sophisticated advocacy in their 2007 entry, Flying the Flag (for you), which played on its airline theme with the lyric “would you like something to suck on for landing, sir?” - gay innuendo delivered with full theatrical force by vocalist David Ducasse.

Eurovision’s display of identity draws admiration from audiences, and while views are not always shared across participating countries, the controversial nature of the contest can itself draw fascination.

 

Politics of the Eurovision Song Contest

While there is a rule that prohibits political messaging through the medium of music in the contest, this has never stood in the way of a good protest song. For example:

• In 1976, Mariza Koch sang of the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey two years prior.
• In 1982, Germany’s entry from Nicole, “Ein bißchen Frieden” celebrated peace after the NATO missile crisis during the Cold War.
• In 1990, Italy’s Toto Cotugno sang about a united Europe in his song “Insieme” (Together), following the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Politics is also ever present in the voting segment, where voters have been known to take the opportunity to register their distaste for any aggressive geopolitical moves from member states. For example, in 2022, Europe showed its disapproval of continued Russian hostilities, awarding the win to Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra.

 

Where does it go from here?

Eurovision has seen an expansion of epic proportions in the last few years alone, thanks to social media. Last year’s contest drew a record breaking 163 million viewers. 

And a whole new generation is falling in love with Eurovision, too. It’s undoubtedly the work of TikTok and its predominantly youth-led demographic that has made the contest’s viewer base now 58% 15-24 year olds.

It’s not just TikTok, either. Multi-platform engagement with Eurovision content across TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, Facebook and Instagram has driven up viewing figures.

In terms of what we’ll see from artists in future years, we can perhaps look to the cultural and political stage in terms of the artistic message, but where the music will take us is truly anyone’s guess. 

For music’s best-loved contradiction, the joy lies in its misdirection. We’ll just have to keep watching to find out.

 

Never miss a beat

Watch Eurovision 2025 on 13-17 May, broadcast from Basel, Switzerland to catch all the acts and cast your vote. To get in the Eurovision mood, check out the vast array of Euro-artists and tracks available from Universal Production Music, as well as our selection of Eurovision jingles for use in your productions.