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Celine Dion made her return to the stage for the first time in six years while continuing her battle with stiff-person syndrome, and the occasion proved every bit as emotional as anticipated.
The 58-year-old singer — who launched her 26-show residency at the Plenitude Arena in Paris, France, on Sept. 12 – opened the concert with her French-language song “On Ne Change Pas” before tearing up, according to multiple videos circulating online.
“These are, of course, tears of joy. I’m so delighted to see you,” Dion told the crowd, according to People.
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Dion later addressed the significance of the performance and her long-awaited return.
“I made a promise to come back, to be back on stage,” she said. “So here I am, singing for you and singing for me, singing life!”
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The singer also thanked fans for their support and patience during her years away from the stage, telling them, “I am everything I am because you loved me,” before performing her hit “Because You Loved Me.”
Dion’s career was first interrupted in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced her to postpone the “Courage World Tour.” In January 2022, she canceled the North American leg of the tour, explaining that her recovery from severe muscle spasms was taking longer than expected.
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At the time, Dion said she was following the treatment regimen prescribed by her doctors and hoped to return to performing once she regained her health.
Months later, Dion revealed the diagnosis behind her health struggles in an emotional video shared with fans.
“As you know, I’ve always been an open book. And I wasn’t ready to say anything before — but I’m ready now. I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time. And it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and talk about everything that I’ve been going through.”
Dion then revealed she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), which she explained “affects something like one in a million people.”
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SPS is defined by the Cleveland Clinic as “a rare autoimmune movement disorder that affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). People with this condition first experience a stiffening of the muscles of their trunk followed, over time, by the development of stiffness and rigidity in the legs and other muscles in the body.”
Dion explained that the condition sometimes made it difficult for her to walk and prevented her from using her vocal cords “to sing the way I’m used to.”
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“All I know is singing,” Dion said at the time. “It’s what I’ve done all my life. And it’s what I love to do the most.”
Dion offered fans a glimpse of her progress in 2024. She received a standing ovation when she appeared at the Grammy Awards to present the album of the year and later documented her health journey in the Prime Video documentary “I Am: Celine Dion.”
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In July 2024, Dion performed Edith Piaf’s “L’Hymne à l’amour” at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. The appearance marked her first live performance since revealing her diagnosis and was viewed as a hopeful sign that she could eventually return to concerts.
Dion’s Paris residency is expected to feature some of her biggest hits, including “My Heart Will Go On,” “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” and “Because You Loved Me.”
The singer previously said that touring could be difficult even when she was healthy, but she refused to give up on performing.
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“I’m not giving up,” Dion said in 2023. “And I can’t wait to see you again.”
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