Celine Dion made an emotional return to the concert stage, proving her enduring passion for performing remains as powerful as ever.
The Grammy-winning singer was visibly moved as she opened the first night of her 16-date residency at Paris’ Plenitude Arena on Sept. 12. The show marked Dion’s first full concert appearance since she stepped away from public life in 2022.
Addressing the crowd of 35,000 fans at the start of the Paris residency, Dion said she had hoped to keep her emotions in check. “I had promised myself not to cry,” she told the audience, according to Variety. “But I’m so happy to see you all. I missed you. I’m going to sing like you without crying.”
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Following her opening performance of “On ne change pas”—the title translates to “We don’t change”—the Canadian icon reflected on what it meant to be back before a live audience. “Here we are,” she said. “I’m standing on stage in this city that I love so much, thanks to your support and your love.”
Dion also acknowledged the difficult path that led to her long-awaited comeback. “I have to admit, though, that the road was rocky,” she continued. “The journey was longer than expected, with unplanned stops along the way. But I hung in there. A faint ray of light in the distance, deep in the mountains. I believed in it. And here it is. The sun—the sun is here. The sun, right in front of me.”