Canadian music icon Celine Dion has made an emotional return to the stage, performing her first full concert in six years in Paris after battling the rare neurological disorder Stiff Person Syndrome.
The 58-year-old singer broke down in tears of joy on Saturday, as she opened the sold-out concert at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, before about 30,000 fans.
Dion began the highly anticipated performance with her French-language ballad, “On ne change pas,” before telling the cheering audience how much the moment meant to her.
“These are, of course, tears of joy. I’m so delighted to see you,” she said as she blew kisses to the crowd.
Speaking in both French and English, Dion reflected on the difficult years she had endured since her diagnosis.
“The path was rockier than expected,” she said, adding that she had held on to “a faint ray of light in the distance.”
“Tonight, I want to sing for you, sing for myself, sing for life,” she added.
Her return marks a major milestone in her career after Stiff Person Syndrome forced her to cancel performances and raised serious questions about whether she would ever perform again.
Dion revealed in 2022 that she had been diagnosed with the incurable condition, which can cause severe muscle stiffness and painful cramps.
She has previously said the spasms were so intense that they once resulted in broken ribs.
The singer has spent years working on her physical and vocal recovery, describing her training as being similar to that of an athlete. Her routine has included ballet, Pilates and voice therapy.
The Paris concert attracted fans from several parts of the world, with some travelling thousands of kilometres to witness her comeback.
Paris also staged several celebrations ahead of the performance, including costume contests, karaoke events and tribute activities dedicated to the singer.
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The suburban railway station serving the arena was temporarily renamed “Celine” in honour of the star.
Dion’s residency consists of 26 performances, with 16 shows scheduled for September and October and another 10 planned for May. The residency is expected to provide a significant boost to the local economy.
The singer, whose career spans more than four decades, has sold about 260 million albums in English and French. Her global hits include “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” and “Because You Loved Me.”
Her Paris comeback follows her surprise performance of Edith Piaf’s “Hymne à l’amour” during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which marked her first major public performance since revealing her diagnosis.
