Céline Dion was tearful in Paris during her first on-stage performance in more than six years, after taking a break for health reasons.
“I made a promise. I made a promise to come back and to be back on stage. Here I am singing for you, and singing for me. Thank you so very much for your support, your patience. I am everything I am because you love me," she told the sold-out crowd.
She said it was "amazing we are all together".
Her last full performance was during her Courage Tour in 2020, but the 2022 North American leg was cancelled when the singer was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome (SPS).
The rare autoimmune neurological disorder often causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms, varying in severity, caused by the body mistakenly attacking healthy nerve cells.
Following her diagnosis in 2022, the singer only made three brief performance appearances – in a virtual charity event for healthcare workers during Covid, the opening ceremony at the 2024 Summer Olympics, and at the end of a fashion show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Dion told fans she "made a promise to come back", and is scheduled to perform a residency in Paris' Plenitude Arena between September 12, 2026 and May 29, 2027.
Saturday's performance in Paris marked the beginning of the 26 shows she was booked to perform in the arena, which increased from the initial 10 shows due to high demand.
Dion first announced her return on her birthday this year at the end of March. More than nine million fans reportedly tried to buy tickets, which sold out within a few hours.
She is expected to perform many hit songs during the residency, including Oscar- and Grammy-winning My Heart Will Go On, It's All Coming Back to Me Now, The Power of Love, and Pour que tu m’aimes encore.
SHARE ME