Elaconese Melody Festival 1961

The Elaconese Melody Festival 1961 was the 59th edition of the Elaconese Melody Festival. The contest took place in Reykjavik, Iceland, after they won the 1960 contest.

It was the 20th contest to have semi-finals. There would be two semi-finals with seventeen countries each, and the previous top 5 would automatically qualify.

Thirty-eight countries took part. Azerbaijan returned after a brief absence, while Belarus withdrew after another non-qualification. Bosnia and Herzegovina withdrew after monetary issues, while Monaco returned to the contest for the first time since 1933, a 28-year absence.