What Young Audiences Want: Inside the Youth Forum at Radiodays Europe 2026

The final session of Radiodays Europe 2026 brought a burst of energy, honesty and fresh thinking presented by the Youth Forum – a year‑round initiative designed to amplify young voices in the audio industry. The session showcased the ideas, frustrations and ambitions of the next generation of audio creators.

The Youth Forum builds on the former Next Gen programme, which once brought a young Sam Bonham to Radiodays, who now is a senior BBC editor. This year, thanks to support from DAVID Systems, 30 young people from across Europe were selected to attend the conference, representing journalism, programming, UX, social media, student radio and more. Their mission was to tell the industry what young audiences actually want.

The session began with a workshop introduction of one of their exercises called “Build the worst radio station possible.” The point was to identify everything that turns young listeners away. Ali, a student from France, presented “Six Seven Radio,” a parody station run by an out‑of‑touch host recycling stale trends and outdated advice. Idea creators wanted to share a message that young people crave authenticity, not forced coolness. They want radio to feel real, human and connected to their world – not a caricature of it.

The panel then explored why teens aren’t choosing radio. Data from Sweden showed that young people rarely listen voluntarily; most exposure happens in the car with parents. And while many assume Gen Z lives on podcasts, only 1 from 3 listens daily. Yet young people consume huge amounts of audio, especially music. That means radio still has an opportunity, if it adapts.

From the workshop came three standout ideas. 

• The Rage Room, pitched by Jazz and Emily, offered a daily space for listeners to vent their frustrations, followed by a calming meditation. Their argument: radio is too often relentlessly positive, when young people want honesty, humour and emotional release.
• Fandom Focus, presented by Robin and Yaldana, proposed letting fans interview their favourite artists directly via Zoom. By tapping into online fan culture, stations could create powerful emotional moments and bring real community voices on air.
• Happy Minute, pitched by Sophia and Edward, suggested a daily burst of positive news – a counterbalance to the overwhelming negativity of traditional bulletins.

The main message from the Youth Forum was loud and clear – young audiences want authenticity, participation, emotional truth and space to be themselves. And if radio wants to stay relevant, it must not only speak to young people. It must let them speak back.