Celine Dion returned to the stage in Paris on Saturday for her first full concert in more than six years, opening her 2026 residency at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre.
The 58-year-old Canadian singer began the show with her 1998 French-language song “On ne change pas” before briefly stopping as she became tearful. After wiping her eyes and taking a moment, Dion continued following applause from the audience.
“I had promised myself not to cry. I don’t keep my promises. But I’m so happy to see you all. I missed you. I’m going to sing like you without crying,” she told the crowd.
The concert marked Dion’s first full show since March 2020. She stepped away from live performances after being diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, in 2022.
Her Paris residency comprises 16 performances scheduled between September 12 and October 17. Dion’s official website announced the engagement in March, describing the September shows as her return to live performance.
Saturday’s set featured several of her best-known songs, including “My Heart Will Go On” and “All By Myself”. Dion performed 25 songs over slightly more than 2 hours.
Dion had previously returned to a major public stage at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics in 2024, where she performed “Hymne à l’amour”. The Paris residency, however, marks her return to a full concert programme.
“I want to sing for you, to sing about life,” Dion told the audience during the performance.
