Céline Dion has cancelled all of her tour dates for 2023 and 2024 as she continues to deal with a rare neurological disorder known as Stiff Person Syndrome.
“I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again. I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100%,” the 55-year-old Canadian singer said in a statement posted on her website. “It’s not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again. I want you all to know, I’m not giving up … and I can’t wait to see you again!”
Dion first revealed the diagnosis in a tearful video to fans last December, when she postponed the European leg of her Courage World Tour until August 2023. The tour was set to commence in Amsterdam and run through Europe, ending in London in April 2024. The condition, which affects somewhere between 1 and 2 million people worldwide, causes muscle spasms and painful stiffness that worsens over time.
“Unfortunately the spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to,” Dion said in her announcement of the diagnosis, which came after months of worsening health issues. “I have a great team of doctors working alongside me to help me get better and my precious children who are supporting me and giving me hope. I’m working hard with my support medicine therapist every day to build back my strength and my ability to perform again, but I have to admit it’s been a struggle.”
Dion first spoke about her symptoms in October 2021, when she postponed the beginning of her Las Vegas residency due to what she described as “severe and persistent” muscle spasms. “I’m heartbroken by this,” she said. “My team and I have been working on our new show for the past eight months, and to not be able to open this November saddens me beyond words.”
There is no known cure for Stiff Person Syndrome, but it is treatable through chemical intervention and immune therapies.
The singer most recently appeared in her first film role for the romance film Love Again, starring Priyanka Chopra and Sam Heughan. While she released five new songs for the film, she did not appear at any premieres.
In the statement posted to her website, Dion’s team expressed optimism for Dion’s future tours: “We do have every hope that someday soon, Celine will be able to come to all of these cities in Europe to perform for her amazing fans, but that time simply is not now.”
