Céline Dion Returns to Concert Stage After Battling Muscle Stiffness
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- 2026-09-13 13:44:06
- Updated
- 2026-09-13 13:44:06
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP) on the 12th local time, Dion held a solo concert that day at Plénitude Arena on the western outskirts of Paris. She had been scheduled to perform at La Défense Arena in Paris in 2020 as part of her World Tour, but the concert was postponed once because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, she canceled all scheduled performances after announcing that she had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome (SPS), a rare disorder that causes muscle stiffness.
At the concert, held four years after she disclosed her illness, Dion opened up about her difficult battle, saying, "It was a much more difficult journey than I expected," and she was seen in tears. Calling them "tears of joy," she said, "I am so happy to see you." She added, "I held on by clinging to a faint ray of light visible from deep in the distant mountains," and said, "Tonight, I will sing for you, for myself, and ultimately for life."
Some 30,000 spectators gathered at the concert to welcome her return. The City of Paris also heightened the festive atmosphere through various events across the city. A hot-air balloon that rose over Tuileries Garden the previous day was inscribed with part of the lyrics to Édith Piaf’s "Hymne à l’amour," which Dion sang at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, along with the name "Céline." A railway station near the venue was also temporarily renamed "Céline."
Dion is scheduled to hold a total of 16 concerts through next month and plans to add 10 more performances in May next year.
Born in Quebec, Canada, Dion has sold approximately 260 million albums released in English and French over the past 40 years. She is a globally renowned singer who has won five Grammy Awards, including for singing "My Heart Will Go On," the theme song from the film Titanic.
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