In addition, Radio svizzera italiana (RSI), on behalf of SRG SSR, was the host broadcaster and staged the event at the Teatro Kursaal in Lugano.

For their national selection, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR) opened a public submission period between January and 20 February 1956 for interested songwriters to submit their compositions.

[3] The accordeonist duo Les Frères Domergue and the harmonica group Trio Hill Billy's were interval acts.

[13] One of the winning songs, "Refrains", was co-written by Émile Gardaz and Géo Voumard, and the other, "Das alte Karussell", was written and composed by Georg Betz-Stahl.

Each participating broadcaster appointed two jury members who voted by giving between one and ten points to each song, including those representing their own country.

[20] All jury members were colocated in a separate room in the venue in Lugano and followed the contest via a television set.

[19] The final in Lugano was broadcast in Switzerland on TSR and SRG as well as on the radio stations Beromünster, Sottens and Monte Ceneri.