Canadian superstar Celine Dion kicked off her 16th concert tour in France near Paris on Saturday evening, performing for a global audience who were eager to witness the singer's return to the stage after an absence of more than six years due to a rare neurological condition.
Dion left her Parisian hotel around 1:45 p.m. to the cheers of hundreds of fans before heading in a motorcade to the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, according to AFP journalists.
The concert, which began at 8:00 p.m., was expected to last about two hours.
Since arriving in Paris on August 28, Dion's rehearsals at the largest indoor arena in Europe have been shrouded in secrecy. She offered only a single hint about her concert program, telling the audience outside her hotel, "Wear comfortable shoes!"
The 58-year-old star, originally from Quebec, Canada, faces a new and significant challenge, having overcome the loss of her manager and the father of her three children, René Angélil, in 2016.
After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of her concert tour, she was unable to return to the stage due to a diagnosis of rigid, incurable neurological syndrome. This condition has negatively impacted her life for nearly 20 years, but was only diagnosed in 2022.
The star, whose albums have sold over 260 million records, withdrew from the music scene after announcing her health condition, focusing on treatment following a severe new paralysis episode.
Two years later, she surprised the world with her appearance at the Eiffel Tower, where she performed Edith Piaf's "Hymne à l'amour" during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games.
Last spring, she announced a 16-show tour by mid-October, followed by 10 more in May 2027, produced by the American giant AEG Presents, sparking immense excitement among her fans.
"We never thought she'd come back," Chloe Redquist, who traveled from London, told AFP on Friday outside the venue.
Her friend Katie predicted that the star's return would be "a very emotional moment."
Both Chloe and Katie, in their thirties, didn't hesitate to buy their tickets for around €1,700 and pay for their own travel and hotel accommodations to attend the concert.
Like them, Celine Dion's fans flocked from all corners of the globe, including members of her largest fan club, the "Redheads," known for their iconic red hats.
Among them is Melanie (40 years old), who preferred not to give her full name. She will be attending six of Dion's concerts, while Tamatia, who also preferred not to reveal his surname, traveled some 22,000 kilometers from Tahiti to see the artist he likens to a "phoenix."
- 30,000 -
The audience in Nanterre is expected to reach approximately 30,000 on Saturday. Dion plans to perform for five weeks, with shows on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, raising questions about her ability to maintain her performance level at this potentially exhausting pace.
Among the songs Dion may perform are "My Heart Will Go On" from the 1997 film "Titanic" and "I'm Alive."
French-speaking audiences eagerly awaited the songs "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" and "J'irai ou tu iras" from her 1995 album "D'eux."
However, many who were eager to see Celine Dion perform live were disappointed, as tickets were unavailable due to prices reaching hundreds of euros.
The artist wrote on Instagram, "Paris is as magical as ever."
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