Celine Dion received a rapturous welcome in Paris on Friday as fans gathered in force to catch a glimpse of the singer ahead of her long-awaited return to the stage.
The 58-year-old superstar appeared visibly moved during what marked her first public appearance in two years, smiling, waving and blowing kisses to supporters outside the Hotel Le Royal Monceau.
Dion cut an elegant figure in a camel trench coat and heeled boots, shielding her eyes with dark sunglasses while happily posing for photographs.
The Paris arrival comes as Dion prepares for a remarkable stage comeback, three years after she was forced to cancel her world tour amid her debilitating battle with stiff person syndrome.
Over the past six years, the Grammy-winning singer has performed only once, later offering an unflinching look at the impact of her illness in the 2024 documentary I Am: Celine Dion.
Her most recent public appearance came that same year, when she performed at an Elie Saab fashion event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Now, Dion is set to return to live performance this autumn with a 10-date Paris residency, which has already been extended in response to strong demand from fans.
Celine Dion was met by large crowds in Paris on Friday as anticipation builds for her stage comeback
The superstar, 58, looked emotional during her first public appearance in two years as waved and blew kisses to fans who had gathered outside the Hotel Le Royal Monceau
Celine opened up to Harper’s Bazaar this month about how she has been preparing for the shows, along with the insecurities she has been overcoming since her diagnosis.
The My Heart Will Go On singer has been preparing for her shows with a rigorous workout schedule, which consists of 90-minute Pilates sessions three times a week along with twice-weekly ballet classes with a local company.
‘It is a progressive condition. I don’t like to say “disease.” Disease makes you go like this,’ she said, scrunching her nose and saying, ‘”Kevin, you’re such a disease.”‘
The interview was conducted at a recording studio at the Palms Casino Resort, a room that was decked out with an array of exercise equipment, including weights, a treadmill, a reformer machine and a ballet barre Dion was stretching at.
Following years of symptoms, Celine was diagnosed with SPS in 2022 after she faced a flare-up in 2020, at the same time as the start of the pandemic.
For three years, she isolated from fans, partly motivated by fears her fans would presume she was living a happy, full life and still cancelling shows.
She also developed an appreciation for nature during this time.
‘I love trees so much, and I had this vision of myself trying to disappear through the leaves,’ she said.
The trees were barren as it was autumn, a visual Dion saw as a metaphor for her own struggles.
‘I was trying to tell them, I’m sorry, I don’t have any apples to give you anymore,’ she said, until a voice told her: ‘But we did not come for the apples; we came for the tree.’
The last time Celine performed on stage was at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Looking chic in a camel-coloured trench coat and heeled boots, Celine hid behind her dark shades, beaming as she posed for photos
Celine is gearing up for her miraculous stage comeback three years after canceling her world tour due to a debilitating battle with stiff person syndrome
In the past six years, she has performed only once, and she laid bare the brutality of the condition in her 2024 documentary, I Am: Celine Dion
She is returning to the stage this autumn with a 10-date residency in Paris that she has since extended due to popular demand
Following years of symptoms, Celine was diagnosed with SPS in 2022 after she faced a flare-up in 2020, at the same time as the start of the pandemic
For three years, she isolated from fans, partly motivated by fears her fans would presume she was living a happy, full life and still cancelling shows
Celine felt touched by the amount of fans waiting for her in the street
Celine made a heart shape with her hands to fans
Celine was protected by her bodyguards from the swarm of fans
She looked raring to go for her comeback shows
All eyes were on Celine as she arrived in Paris
Now she is preparing to return to the stage with a jam-packed exercise schedule in a period she describes as falling and getting back up over and over again.
‘It’s been so long, I would like to offer them something to show how I’ve missed them,’ she said.
Indeed, Celine has missed her fans, who she is well aware are the reason for her success.
‘They paid for tickets,’ she told Harper’s Bazaar. ‘They bought my records. They gave me that luxury. So the least I can do is tell them that I’m alive.’
She is now ready to get back to work, even the more annoying bits of being a pop star.
‘Well, girl,’ Celine says, addressing herself but speaking to the reporter, ‘if you don’t want to sign autographs and you don’t want to get yourself pretty and you don’t want to be disturbed because your pasta is going to get cold, you can always stay home. But look at what you have.’
In March, the pop icon announced she will play a 10-night residency at the 40,000-capacity Paris La Défense Arena in September and October.
Making the announcement on her birthday, she branded her comeback ‘the best gift of my life’.
She said in a video: ‘I’m so ready to do this. I’m feeling good, I’m strong, I’m feeling excited, obviously, [and] of course, a little nervous.
‘I’m doing great, managing my health, feeling good. I’m singing again, even doing a little bit of dancing.
‘But I have to tell you something very important: Over these last few years, every day that’s gone by, I felt your prayers and support, your kindness and love. I am grateful to all of you. I can’t wait to see you again.”
Her last public appearance came in 2024 when she sang at an Elie Saab fashion event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (pictured)
She has since added extra dates due to ‘overwhelming demand’, adding 10 more shows in the month of May.
Stiff Person Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder which ’causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms that come and go and can worsen over time’ – and Dion has previously detailed how it affected her signature vocals.
The My Heart Will Go On hitmaker first revealed in 2022 that she was suffering from SPS and cancelled her remaining tour dates at the time.
In a video uploaded at the time to her Instagram page, the singer emotionally explained, ‘Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life.
‘Sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to.
She added: ‘I’m working hard with my sports medicine therapist every day to build back my strength and my ability to perform again, but I have to admit it’s been a struggle.
‘All I know is singing. It’s what I’ve done all my life, and it’s what I love to do the most,’ the mother-of-three continued.
Last year in May, Celine, who also shared a moving message amid Eurovision’s semi-finals, gave a health update during an interview with Vogue and expressed that her ‘happiness has come back’.
She continued, ‘It has been a big burden on my shoulders, and a lot of that weight’s gone…because now I can just focus on reality. That’s wonderful.’
And during an appearance on Today also last year, the performer stated, ‘I believe in myself, in my bravery’ while adding that she will not let the disorder ‘control my life’.
‘I’m going to come onstage because I’m ready. And my vocal cords will not scare me because I’m going to be ready, and I’m going to hit those notes.’
