See Celine Dion make rare public appearance
Fans greeted Celine Dion as she arrived in Paris ahead of her concert series in France.
Céline Dion made her long-awaited return to the stage for the first time in six years as she continues navigating life with stiff-person syndrome – and the moment wasn’t short of tears and emotion.
In the first of a series of concerts at Paris La Défense Arena in the city’s Nanterre suburb, the 58-year-old singer tearfully celebrated being in front of a crowd once more on Saturday, Sept. 12.
“I’m standing on stage in this city I love so much thanks to your support and your love,” she told the audience. “The path was rocky, the road was longer than planned, but I held on.”
Dion’s residency in the City of Love marks the pop star’s first full concert experience since she took the stage at New Jersey’s Prudential Center back in March 2020 as part of her Courage World Tour.
The “Because You Loved Me” powerhouse announced in 2022 that she had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological condition that causes muscle spasms and rendered her unable to perform. The five-time Grammy winner laid bare what life with the condition is like in her 2024 documentary “I Am: Celine Dion.”
Dion, who mostly spoke French throughout the show, seemed overwhelmed at times and broke down in tears during her opening number, holding out a microphone to the audience to help her through the bridge.
“I promised I wouldn’t cry – but they’re tears of joy,” she said.
The staging was muted, and the “Power of Love” star mainly wore black gowns, leaving little to distract from her obvious emotion at being back in front of a crowd.
Dion strutted confidently through her familiar onstage theatrics, pulling faces and playing air guitar, and belting out the ballads that made her one of the bestselling recording artists of all time, including “My Heart Will Go On” and “All By Myself.”
She opened the night with one of her biggest French-language hits, “On Ne Change Pas” (“We Don’t Change”), in what seemed to be a reference to her extended absence.
Her 16-concert Paris residency, followed by an additional 10 dates slated for May 2027, has caused a frenzy in the French capital, where crowds gather outside her swanky hotel until the early hours, hoping to catch a glimpse of the singer.