The 1988 Eurovision Song Contest saw the arrival of two singers which soon would be known all around the world: Céline Dion and Lara Fabian.
The 1988 Eurovision Song Contest was hosted in Dublin for the third time, and featured one of the most exciting votings in the long history of the contest. Switzerland’s entry Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi performed by Céline Dion beat the runner-up, the United Kingdom’s Scott Fitzgerald by just a single point. Before the last vote, the UK entry was leading with 136 points to Switzerland’s 131 but then Yugoslavia, the last country to vote, gave six points to Switzerland while ignoring the British song Go completely.
For Céline Dion, winning the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest was the starting point of her globe-wide career. Had she only been known in Canada and France before 1988, the Eurovision Song Contest gave her the opportunity to record songs which would sell millions of copies all around the world.
But not only Céline Dion made a huge profit from the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest, also her colleague Lara Fabian who was singing for Luxembourg started a successful career after the contest with a mainly French-sung repertoire.
In 1988, 21 countries participated in the Eurovision Song Contest. Cyprus decided to withdraw because their entry did not match the rules of the contest: it had already been published previously. The venue of the 1988 contest was the same as in 1981, but this time, RTÉ managed to create a very special stage that created the illusion of a spage age-style grid which suggested that it was a huge arena with lots of lighting and special effects. Even nowadays, this set is still praised by experts.
The Participants
| # | Representing country | Performer(s) | Song title, writer(s) and composer(s) | Points | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Iceland RÚV | Beathoven | Sókrates | 020 | 16 |
| 02 | Sweden SVT | Tommy Körberg | Stad I Ljus | 052 | 12 |
| 03 | Finland YLE | Boulevard | Nauravat Silmät Muistetaan | 003 | 20 |
| 04 | United Kingdom BBC | Scott Fitzgerald | Go | 136 | 02 |
| 05 | Turkey TRT | MFÖ | Sufi (hey Ya Hey) | 037 | 15 |
| 06 | Spain TVE | La Década | La Chica Que Yo Quiero (made In Spain) | 058 | 11 |
| 07 | The Netherlands NOS | Gerard Joling | Shangri-la | 070 | 09 |
| 08 | Israel IBA | Yardena Arazi | Ben Adam | 085 | 07 |
| 09 | Switzerland SSR SRG | Céline Dion | Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi | 137 | 01 |
| 10 | Ireland RTÉ | Jump the Gun | Take Him Home | 079 | 08 |
| 11 | Germany ARD | Maxi and Chris Garden | Lied Für Einen Freund | 048 | 14 |
| 12 | Austria ORF | Wilfried | Lisa Mona Lisa | 000 | 21 |
| 13 | Denmark DR | Hot Eyes | Ka‘ Du Se Hva‘ Jeg Sa‘ | 092 | 03 |
| 14 | Greece ERT | Aphroditi Fryda | Kloun | 010 | 17 |
| 15 | Norway NRK | Karoline Krüger | For Vår Jord | 088 | 05 |
| 16 | Belgium RTBF | Reynaert | Laissez Briller Le Soleil | 005 | 18 |
| 17 | Luxembourg CLT | Lara Fabian | Croire | 090 | 04 |
| 18 | Italy RAI | Luca Barbarossa | Ti Scrivo | 052 | 12 |
| 19 | France A2F | Gérard Lenorman | Chanteur De Charme | 064 | 10 |
| 20 | Portugal RTP | Dora | Voltarei | 005 | 18 |
| 21 | Yugoslavia JRT | Srebrna Krila | Mangup | 087 | 06 |
Scoreboard
| Participant | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Points | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iceland | 4 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 16 | |||||||||||||||
| Sweden | 1 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 52 | 12 | ||||||||||||
| Finland | 3 | 3 | 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United Kingdom | 10 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 136 | 2 | ||||
| Turkey | 6 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 15 | |||||||||||||
| Spain | 8 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 58 | 11 | |||||||||
| The Netherlands | 6 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 70 | 9 | |||||||||||
| Israel | 2 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 85 | 7 | |||||
| Switzerland | 4 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 137 | 1 | |||
| Ireland | 6 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 79 | 8 | ||||||
| Germany | 6 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 48 | 14 | |||||||||||
| Austria | – | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Denmark | 12 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 92 | 3 | |||||||
| Greece | 7 | 3 | 10 | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Norway | 3 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 88 | 5 | ||||||
| Belgium | 5 | 5 | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Luxembourg | 1 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 90 | 4 | ||||||
| Italy | 5 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 52 | 12 | |||||||||||
| France | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 64 | 10 | ||||||
| Portugal | 1 | 4 | 5 | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Yugoslavia | 4 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 87 | 6 |