The winner was Luxembourg with the song "Nous les amoureux", composed by Jacques Datin, written by Maurice Vidalin [fr] and performed by Jean-Claude Pascal, the first of an eventual five contest victories for the country.

The 1961 contest took place in Cannes, France, following the nation's victory at the 1960 edition in London, the United Kingdom, with the song "Tom Pillibi", performed by Jacqueline Boyer.

[9] Also among the participating artists was Germany's Lale Andersen, who had gained significant international fame and popularity during World War II, both in Allied and Axis countries, for her interpretation of "Lili Marleen".

[5][24] The stage design was notably larger than in previous years, featuring a central large staircase covered in flowers, trees and shrubs, with an painted outdoor scene in the background, giving an impression of a Mediterranean garden.

[17][26] The draw to determine the running order took place on 16 March 1961 at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, conducted by Jacqueline Joubert and assisted by two children aged six and four.

[6] The interval act was a dance performance by Tessa Beaumont and Max Bozzoni [fr] titled Rencontres à Cannes, with music by Raymond Lefèvre.

[29][30][32] The winner was Luxembourg represented by the song "Nous les amoureux", composed by Jacques Datin, written by Maurice Vidalin [fr] and performed by the French singer and actor Jean-Claude Pascal.

[35][36] Songs of such subject matter would have been considered taboo, and would not have been allowed to be spoken of widely in 1961; same-sex sexual activities were illegal in almost half of the countries competing in the contest at the time, including in Austria, West Germany, the UK and Spain.

[38] Each participating broadcaster appointed a spokesperson, connected to the contest venue via telephone lines and responsible for announcing, in English or French, the votes for its respective country.

[40] Broadcasters were able to send commentators to provide coverage of the contest in their own native language and to relay information about the artists and songs to their television viewers.

[8][17] No official accounts of total international viewing figures are known to exist; an estimate given in the French press ahead of the contest suggested there would be 40 million viewers across Europe.