Celine Dion has cried onstage during her comeback concert in Paris and delivered an emotional speech telling fans: “I made a promise to come back.”
The French-Canadian singer, 58, was performing at the La Defense Arena in Paris on Saturday as she kicked off her residency in the French capital, marking her first full-length concert for almost six years.
It comes after the star took a break from performing after revealing her stiff person syndrome (SPS) diagnosis in December 2022 and cancelling her Courage world tour.
The autoimmune disease is a rare neurological disorder that causes progressive muscular stiffness and spasms, and there is currently no cure for the disease, according to the NHS.
The five-time Grammy winner was filmed crying as during her emotional return to the stage, and delivered a speech to the tens of thousands of fans in the crowd.
“It’s amazing we are all together,” Dion addressed the cheering audience.
“I made a promise. I made a promise to come back and to be back on stage.
“Here I am singing for you, and singing for me.
“Thank you so very much for your support, your patience. I am everything I am because you love me.”
Dion was wearing a simple strapless black gown with floor-length skirt, accessorised with an ornate silver choker necklace, and wore her blonde hair in a slicked back style.
The star recently extended her ongoing Paris residency to 16 concerts thanks to popular demand, with further shows to take place until October 14.
The singer previously cancelled her Las Vegas residency due to health concerns in 2021, and revealed her diagnosis the following year.
Dion then took a break from performing until 2024 when she made a brief public appearance to sing at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, but during this time she repeatedly expressed her desire to return to the stage.
Her long-awaited return was revealed on her birthday on March 30, with a post to Instagram expressing her excitement, and a series of videos displayed under the lights of the Eiffel Tower.
The singer, who is best known for hits including My Heart Will Go On, Think Twice and It’s All Coming Back To Me Now, will perform her most popular songs in both French and English during the concerts.
