Has Eurovision Gone Feather-Free? PETA Asks Organisers to Make it Official

19.05/2025

London – Since feathered costumes were notably absent from the Eurovision Song Contest final in Basel this Saturday, PETA has written to the show’s Director Martin Green, asking him to keep the show feather-free – for good. In the letter, PETA is highlighting the cruel ways birds are raised and killed for their feathers and asking that the programme champion cruelty-free costumes by committing to only using faux feathers going forward.

“Part of the fun of Eurovision is the outlandish outfits, but you might not be aware that the feathers used for boas, hats, and costume trims come from terrified birds who may be painfully live-plucked and have their throats cut,” writes PETA Vice President for Europe Mimi Bekhechi. “As an event founded on equality, social justice, and joy, we hope you agree to champion extending those values to all, including birds. ”

In their natural habitat, ostriches form strong social bonds, nurture their young for up to three years, and can live for more than 40 years – yet in the feather industry, workers forcibly restrain ostriches as young as 1 year old, electrically stun them, and slit their throats before tearing the feathers from their still-warm bodies. Other birds fare no better – peacocks, pheasants, emus, turkeys, and chickens all endure miserable lives on crowded farms and painful deaths so that their feathers can be used for fashion.

PETA notes that consumer demand for animal-friendly materials is on the rise: UK dancing programme Strictly Come Dancing has committed to a ban on feathers following conversations with PETA, as has its Swedish sister show Let’s Dance. Stella McCartney recently launched a feather-free pledge in collaboration with PETA, while Victoria’s Secret wowed audiences with its first show featuring stunning designs made exclusively from beautiful handcrafted faux feathers. Flamboyant costumes like 1998 winner Dana International’s “parrot feather” Jean Paul Gaultier bolero could be recreated using tulle, bamboo, organza, silicone, metal, or recycled materials.

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear” – opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow the group on Facebook, X, TikTok, or Instagram.

Contact:

Sascha Camilli +44 (0) 20 7923 6244; [email protected]

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