Belarus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008

Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Participating broadcasterBelarusian Television and Radio Company (BTRC)
Country Belarus
National selection
Selection processEurofest 2008
Selection date(s)Semi-final:
21 December 2007
Final:
21 January 2008
Selected artist(s)Ruslan Alekhno
Selected song"Hasta la vista"
Selected songwriter(s)
  • Eleonora Melnik
  • Taras Demchuk
Finals performance
Semi-final resultFailed to qualify (17th)
Belarus in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄2007 2008 2009►

Belarus was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Hasta la vista", composed by Taras Demchuk, with lyrics by Eleonora Melnik, and performed by Ruslan Alekhno. The Belarusian participating broadcaster, Belarusian Television and Radio Company (BTRC), selected its entry through a national final.

The national final was a televised production which consisted of a semi-final and a final held on 21 December 2007 and 21 January 2008, respectively. Fifteen competing acts participated in the semi-final where four entries qualified to the final: one entry selected by a public televote and three entries selected by a nine-member jury panel. In the final, the jury panel selected "Hasta la vista" performed by Ruslan Alekhno as the winner.

Belarus was drawn to compete in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 22 May 2008. Performing during the show in position 9, "Hasta la vista" was not announced among the 10 qualifying entries of the first semi-final and therefore did not qualify to compete in the final. It was later revealed that Belarus placed seventeenth out of the 19 participating countries in the semi-final with 27 points.