Celine Dion represented Switzerland when she won the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest.
The final was held in Dublin, Ireland, on 30 April 1988. Dion performed “Ne partez pas sans moi,” a French-language song, and narrowly defeated the United Kingdom. Switzerland finished with 137 points, while the United Kingdom received 136.
At the time, Dion was already known in the Francophone music world but had not yet become the global superstar associated with later English-language hits. Eurovision gave her a highly visible international television platform. She went on to build a major career through albums, film soundtracks and concert performances.
The winning entry is sometimes misidentified as a Canadian entry because Dion is Canadian. Eurovision entries compete for the country they represent, and Switzerland selected Dion for the 1988 contest. Her victory was Switzerland’s second Eurovision win.