Celine Dion shed tears of joy Saturday as she returned to the stage for her first full concert in six years, performing before 30,000 fans in Paris after years of battling a rare neurological disorder.
The 58-year-old French Canadian singer appeared visibly emotional as she opened the sold-out show at the Plenitude Arena with her 1990s French-language ballad “On ne change pas,” or “One Doesn’t Change.”
“These are, of course, tears of joy. I'm so delighted to see you,” Dion told the cheering crowd as she blew kisses to the audience.
Her return marks a major comeback after she was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, an incurable condition that causes muscle stiffness, cramps and spasms. The illness forced her to cancel performances and raised uncertainty over whether she would ever be able to perform again.
“The path was rockier than expected,” Dion said, speaking in both French and English. “But I held on to a faint ray of light in the distance, deep in the mountains.”
“Tonight, I want to sing for you, sing for myself, sing for life,” she added.
The largely female audience wore sequined dresses and tops, glittered cheeks and T-shirts featuring Dion’s image or references to her biggest hits.
Elisabeth Landry, a 38-year-old fan from Quebec who lives near Dion’s hometown of Charlemagne, described the experience as “unreal.”
“I was convinced we'd never see her again, especially not embarking on a run of concerts like this,” Landry said.
French newspaper Le Parisien reported that former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama was discreetly attending the concert.
Earlier Saturday, Dion greeted admirers outside the luxury hotel where she is staying near Paris’ Arc de Triomphe.
Fans travelled from around the world to attend the concert, including Albertina Cabral from São Paulo, Brazil, who said she was overwhelmed by the opportunity to see the singer.
“It's unbelievable to stay here and to go to the concert and to see Celine so close,” Cabral said. “And she's feeling good, she's happy.”
Paris hosted several events in the days leading up to Dion’s return, including costume contests, karaoke parties and tribute cruises on the Seine.
The city also temporarily renamed the suburban train station serving the arena “Celine.” On Friday, the iconic Olympic cauldron was raised above the Tuileries Garden, with lyrics from Dion’s performance of Edith Piaf’s “Hymn to Love” during the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony projected alongside her first name.
Dion’s residency includes 26 concerts, beginning with 16 sold-out shows in September and October before she returns for another 10 performances in May. The residency is expected to generate hundreds of millions of euros in economic benefits.
Some fans who could not secure tickets gathered outside Dion’s hotel, where she has regularly appeared to greet admirers, sometimes singing and dancing with them into the early hours.
Over a career spanning four decades, Dion has sold approximately 260 million albums in English and French. Her best-known songs include “It's All Coming Back to Me Now” and “Because You Loved Me.”
Dion announced in late 2022 that she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that can cause severe muscle stiffness and painful spasms. She has said the condition sometimes made her feel as though she was being strangled and caused cramps so intense that they resulted in broken ribs.
Before returning to the stage, Dion underwent years of rehabilitation and training, which she described as working “like an athlete.” Her routine included ballet, Pilates and voice therapy.
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