Céline Dion Returns for First Concert in Six Years

Canadian singer Céline Dion will return to the stage on Saturday for her first full concert in six years, opening a sold-out residency in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.

One of the best-selling music artists of all time, the 58-year-old is due to perform 26 concerts over the next eight months.

Dion announced in 2022 that she had stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes muscle stiffness and spasms, forcing her to put her career on hold. She has largely remained out of the public eye since then, making a dramatic return at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she performed an Edith Piaf song from the Eiffel Tower.

Her comeback has generated considerable excitement in Paris. The metro station at the concert venue has been decorated with lyrics from some of her best-known songs, while thousands are expected to attend a giant karaoke event at City Hall on Friday night.

Since Dion arrived in Paris for two weeks of preparations, fans from around the world have waited for hours outside the Royal Monceau hotel, singing some of her biggest hits and occasionally being joined by the singer herself.

(Reuters, max)