Celine Dion performed her first full concert in more than six years on Saturday, opening a Paris residency at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre.
The Canadian singer took the stage on the evening of Saturday, September 12, in front of 30,000 fans. DR reports that it was the first time in over six years that fans could see her sing a complete show.
According to DR, the concert lasted about two and a half hours and consisted of 29 songs. Dion performed English-language hits such as All By Myself and My Heart Will Go On, alongside French classics including Pour Que Tu M’aimes Encore.
BBC reported that Dion told the audience she had promised to come back to the stage. She said she was singing both for her fans and for herself. She also assured the crowd that she is doing well, DR notes.
Years away from the stage
In 2022, it emerged that Dion has stiff person syndrome, a neurological disease. As reported by DR, the condition affects both her mobility and her vocal cords, and it kept her away from touring.
Her only stage appearance in the intervening years was a surprise performance at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Apart from that, fans had not seen her perform live for more than six years.
Saturday’s show was the first of 16 concerts scheduled this autumn at the arena, which DR describes as Europe’s largest indoor concert venue. Dion is set to play a further 10 concerts at the same venue in May next year.
The venue lies in Nanterre, just outside Paris. Before the concert, fans sang karaoke in front of the arena, according to DR, and many arrived in glitter and bright colors.
Dion visible across Paris
DR reports that T-shirts bearing Dion’s face were widespread in the French capital in the days around the concert. A group of drag queens also attended the show inside the arena.
A smaller tribute concert was arranged on Saturday as well, featuring French artist Fabien Pierrel. It took place on a Celine Dion cruise on the Seine in Paris, according to DR.
Photographers from AFP, Reuters and EPA covered both the arena and the surrounding streets. Dion’s next concert in the series is scheduled for Wednesday, DR reports.
