The Queen of Power Ballads is BACK!
Celine Dion made her return to the stage on Sept. 12 at the Plenitude Arena just outside Paris, France. It was the first concert in six years for the singer, who took a break after she publicly revealed her stiff person syndrome diagnosis. And the moment was an emotional one.
Dion, 58, broke down in tears.
βI had promised myself not to cry,β said Dion, whose hits include βMy Heart Will Go Onβ and βBecause You Loved Me.β βBut Iβm so happy to see you all. I missed you.β
She added that she had promised to come back to the stage β a commitment she did, in fact, keep.
βSo here I am, singing for you,β Dion said. βThank you so very much for your support, your patience and if I may say so, I am everything I am because you loved me.β
Dion sang a number of songs in front of the crowd of an estimated 30,000. For days, people across Paris prepared for her arrival, with fans parked outside her hotel. Dion had even briefly stopped to sing with her admirers, who had long awaited her return.
The concert is part of a 26-date residency in Paris, which she announced back in March on her birthday. In a video posted on social media, Dion had shared that she had started to sing and dance again.
βOver these last few years, every day thatβs come by Iβve felt your prayers and support, with kindness and love. You were there for me,β she said in the video. βYouβve helped me in ways that I canβt even describe, and Iβm truly so fortunate to have your support.β
She also told fans that she was giving herself βthe best gift of my life.β
βIβm getting the chance to see you, to perform for you once again, in Paris, beginning in September this year,β she said.
Dion revealed her diagnosis in 2022, canceling a string of performances at the time to navigate the condition. Stiff person syndrome, a progressive, neurological disorder, causes stiff muscles in the torso, arms and legs, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Many people with the syndrome also experience greater sensitivity to noise, touch and emotional distress which can set off muscle spasms.
βWhile weβre still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is whatβs been causing all of the spasms that Iβve been having,β Dion said in a video shared on her social media accounts. βUnfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal chords to sing the way Iβm used to.β
Two years later, she sang for the first time at the 2024 Paris Olympicsβ Opening Ceremony.