Celine Dion performed her first full concert in more than six years Saturday, opening a Paris residency at Plenitude Arena in Nanterre.
The 58-year-old French Canadian singer, diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome in 2022, delivered a 25-song, two-hour, 15-minute set that included “My Heart Will Go On” and “The Power of Love.”
Yahoo Entertainment and News24 reported that Ms. Dion opened with the French-language song “On Ne Change Pas,” telling the audience: “The path was rockier than I expected. But I held on to a faint ray of light in the distance, deep in the mountains. Tonight, I want to sing for you, sing for myself, sing for life.”
The night’s defining moment came during the encore of “All By Myself,” when she reached and held the song’s climactic high F note. This prompted an eruption from the roughly 30,000-person crowd, which included former first lady Michelle Obama.
Ms. Dion had not performed an entire concert since March 8, 2020. She canceled her “Courage” world tour due to the pandemic and other tour dates after her diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome.
Her only major performance since then was a cover of Edith Piaf’s “Hymne à l’amour” at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony in July 2024.
The Paris shows continue with 15 more over five weeks, plus 10 additional dates booked for May, totaling 26 concerts.
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