After nearly six years away from the concert stage, Celine Dion returned Saturday night with a fitting message: “On nechange pas.”
The Quebec superstar opened her show in front of nearly 33,000 people at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, near Paris, marking an emotional comeback after what she called a “rocky road.”
Dion thrilled the crowd with a two-and-a-half-hour performance that started about 40 minutes late, in which she revisited her career and some of her biggest hits, including “My Heart Will Go On,” “J’irai où tu iras” and “Pour que tu m’aimes encore.”
Throughout the evening, she demonstrated powerful vocal abilities, despite the health problems she faced. Fans from all over the world greeted her return with prolonged applause as she wiped away tears.
“Thank you so much! I promised myself I wouldn’t cry. I don’t keep my promises,” Dion told the crowd after her first song. “I missed it!”
Saturday night marked the start of a run of 26 performances at Plenitude Arena this fall and next spring.
Dion’s last tour was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2022 she revealed that she was suffering from stiffness syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease that prevented her from returning to the stage at the time.
Although the singer gave a moving performance of “Hymne à l’amour” that lit up the Eiffel Tower at the 2024 Paris Olympics, these will be her first full concerts in six years. Another 10 performances are planned for next year.
Saturday’s performance was attended by a host of celebrities, including former First Lady Michelle Obama.
The concert consisted of several sections, some more emotional, with stripped-down piano and vocal performances, and others more celebratory and optimistic.
-Can you hear my heart beating? Dion asked as “Destin” came to an end. “I stand in this city that I love so much, thanks to your support, your love.”
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She thanked the crowd before launching into “Because You Loved Me” as a tribute.
Dion has spoken several times about the autoimmune disease she lives with and her determination to fight so she can sing and perform on stage again.
“I’ve learned to live with this fragility,” Dion told the crowd. “Living next to him, I learned to tame him. I turned it into my strength for life.”
She danced to “Ne bouge pas”, “Dans un autre monde” and “I’m Alive”. She also surprised the crowd with a cover of Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams.”
There were brief set and costume changes throughout the show, accompanied by videos of Dion walking through the desert or dancing.
Throughout the concert, Dion was accompanied by musicians and backing singers, as well as music director Scott Price, who has worked with her for almost ten years.
She shared the stage with her two backing singers during performances of “J’irai où tu iras” and “Beauty and the Beast”. Despite some rumors, no more guests appeared on stage Saturday night.
She also sang “All By Myself” and “Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)”, which caused a particularly emotional reaction from the audience.
But perhaps the biggest impression on Saturday night was her performance of the opera aria “La Wally.”
Dressed in a long pink coat, Dion stepped onto a large rock-shaped plinth and performed the classic piece as snowflakes fell from the arena ceiling.
Dion herself appeared deeply moved afterward, thanking the audience and saying that performing the piece had been a “dream” for her.
Some Canadian fans came to the show.
Frédéric Lauzon and Alexandrine Derome, two flight attendants from Montreal, bought their tickets at the last minute during a layover.
For Derome, this was the 24th time she attended Dion’s performance.
“I’ve seen her in Las Vegas, Montreal, Quebec City, Paris, and during the taping of TV specials in Montreal,” Derome said before the performance.
Dion closed the concert with some of her most famous classics in French, including “Pour que tu m’aimes encore” and “S’il suffisait d’aimer,” as the crowd sang along.
“Des milliers de baisers” was the last song of the evening.
Between songs, Dion repeatedly took the time to speak directly to her fans.
She reminded them of the importance of dreaming big and paying attention to the people around them and what they might be going through through their own experiences.
“I love you. Take care of yourself,” she repeated several times, blowing kisses to the crowd.
© 2026 The Canadian Press