Céline Dion announces comeback tour four years after being diagnosed with crippling Stiff Person Syndrome
Against the odds, the My Heart Will Go On singer will hold down a 10-night residency in Paris.
Céline Dion is set for a stunning comeback tour four years after being diagnosed with an incurable condition that impacted her singing voice and ability to walk.
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Against the odds, the My Heart Will Go On singer will hold down a 10-night residency at the Paris La Défense Arena in September and October as fans eargerly await her return to the stage.
Taking to Instagram to reveal the news, the star said in a post on her 58th birthday on Monday the comeback is "the best gift of my life".
"I'm so ready to do this," she said, adding: "I'm feeling good, I'm strong, I'm feeling excited, obviously, [and] of course, a little nervous."
Regarding her health, she said: "I'm doing great, managing my health, feeling good. I'm singing again, even doing a little bit of dancing.
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"But I have to tell you something very important: Over these last few years, every day that's gone by, I felt your prayers and support, your kindness and love.
"I am grateful to all of you. I can't wait to see you again."
In 2024, Dion gave her first live public performance since revealing she was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome (SPS) when she sang from the Eiffel Tower at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.
But she has not performed her own live show since her gig in Newark, New Jersey on 8 March, 2020.
Her Courage tour was later cut short due to the Covid pandemic before she was forced to all future shows following a devastating health diagnosis..
The five-time Grammy-winner revealed her SPS diagnosis in December 2022 before cancelling her Courage World Tour.
The condition, which causes progressive muscular inflexibility, is documented in her 2024 documentary I Am: Celine Dion, in which she spoke about her desire to return to performing.
The singer’s hits include It’s All Coming Back To Me Now, Think Twice, A New Day Has Come, and My Heart Will Go On, which featured in the 1997 film Titanic and topped the UK singles chart.
Rumours the star would make a stunning return first emerged last week following a report by the French-Canadian newspaper La Presse last week.
By Monday night, the Eiffel Tower was lit up with the message "Paris, je suis pret" (Paris, I am ready), while a playlist of her hits including I'm Alive, Encore Un Soir and My Heart Will Go On was played out.
A French version of her message Dion recorded was played from loudspeakers as the Tower was lit up.