The Eurovision Song Contest 1961 was the sixth annual Eurovision Song Contest. It was held on 18 March 1961 and was the first to take place on a Saturday night, a tradition that has continued into modern times. It was hosted in Cannes where it had been staged two years previously.
Finland, Spain and Yugoslavia all made their debut while no country returned or withdrew.
Luxembourg won for its first time with the song "Nous les amoureux" performed in French by Jean-Claude Pascal. As the contest overran its allocated time and the show was being broadcast live, the winning song's reprise was not shown in the UK.
Location[]
The event took place in Cannes, France, with the venue being the original building of Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, after France got the right to host this edition of the Eurovision Song Contest for winning its previous 1960 editionwith the song "Tom Pillibi" performed by Jacqueline Boyer. Cannes, a city located on the French Riviera, is a busy tourist destination and known worldwide for hosting the annual Cannes Film Festival, with the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès also hosting the Film Festival. The original building was built in 1949 and was located on the boulevard of Promenade de la Croisette, on the present site of the JW Marriott Cannes. It also hosted the 1959 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Participants[]
Returning artists[]
Artist | Note |
---|---|
Bob Benny | Represented Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 1959 in Cannes with the song "Hou toch van mij", finishing in joint 6th place with 9 points. |
Nora Brockstedt | Represented Norway on its debut in the Eurovision Song Contest 1960 in London with the song "Voi Voi", finishing in 4th place with 11 points. |
Results[]
Draw | Country | Performer(s) | Song | Language | Translation | Place | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
01 | Spain | Conchita Bautista | "Estando contigo" | Spanish | Being with You | 9 | 8 |
02 | Monaco | Colette Deréal | "Allons, allons les enfants" | French | Go, go children | 10 | 6 |
03 | Austria | Jimmy Makulis | "Sehnsucht" | German | Longing | 15 | 1 |
04 | Finland | Laila Kinnunen | "Valoa ikkunassa" | Finnish | Light in the window | 10 | 6 |
05 | Yugoslavia | Ljiljana Petrović | "Neke davne zvezde" | Serbian | Some distant stars | 8 | 9 |
06 | The Netherlands | Greetje Kauffeld | "Wat een dag" | Dutch | What a day | 10 | 6 |
07 | Sweden | Lill-Babs | "April, april" | Swedish | - | 14 | 2 |
08 | Germany | Lale Andersen | "Einmal sehen wir uns wieder" | German, French | One day we will see each other again | 13 | 3 |
09 | France | Jean-Paul Mauric | "Printemps, avril carillonne" | French | Springtime, April rings | 4 | 13 |
10 | Switzerland | Franca di Rienzo | "Nous aurons demain" | French | We will have tomorrow | 3 | 16 |
11 | Belgium | Bob Benny | "September, gouden roos" | Dutch | September, golden rose | 15 | 1 |
12 | Norway | Nora Brockstedt | "Sommer i Palma" | Norwegian | Summer in Palma | 7 | 10 |
13 | Denmark | Dario Campeotto | "Angelique" | Danish | - | 5 | 12 |
14 | Luxembourg | Jean-Claude Pascal | "Nous les amoureux" | French | We the Lovers | 1 | 31 |
15 | United Kingdom | The Allisons | "Are You Sure?" | English | - | 2 | 24 |
16 | Italy | Betty Curtis | "Al di là" | Italian | Beyond | 5 | 12 |