Would Britain Vote to Stay or Leave Eurovision? A YouGov Referendum Poll

As the Eurovision Song Contest kicks off its 64th edition in Tel Aviv, a new YouGov survey reveals a striking parallel between British public opinion on the contest and the country’s 2016 Brexit referendum: the nation is deeply divided over its continued participation.

The poll, conducted as part of YouGov’s Eurotrack series, found that if a referendum were held on Britain’s membership of Eurovision, 52% of voters would opt to leave, while 48% would choose to remain. This narrow split mirrors the 52%-48% result of the 2016 EU referendum, where the UK voted to leave the European Union.

Brexit voters remain the most vocal in their opposition to Eurovision, with 71% of those who cast a vote on the contest’s membership favoring exit—a figure that translates to 34% of all Leave voters. In contrast, just 36% of Remain voters who participated in the Eurovision poll would vote to leave, with 64% supporting continued membership.

The survey also highlights a growing perception among Brits that Eurovision is politically motivated. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of those who have watched the contest believe politics plays a role in voting, with 31% convinced it is the sole factor. This skepticism is significantly higher than in six other European countries surveyed, where between 4% and 15% think politics is the primary driver of results.

Viewership in the UK remains low compared to other Eurovision nations. While 82% of Brits have watched the contest at some point, only 23% intend to tune in for this year’s edition. This is markedly lower than in countries like Sweden and Finland, where nearly half (49%) plan to watch, and Norway (48%) and Germany (36%).

The survey underscores the cultural and political tensions surrounding Eurovision in the UK, where the contest’s future hinges on a public increasingly skeptical of its neutrality. With the UK’s participation in Eurovision now a subject of national debate, the contest’s organizers face the challenge of addressing perceptions of political bias while retaining fan engagement.

For now, the UK remains a member, but the narrow margin in the hypothetical referendum suggests that the issue could resurface in future discussions about the country’s cultural and political commitments.