Céline Dion Couldn’t Get Through Her Comeback Show Without Crying

There was no dry eye in the audience at the opening night of Céline Dion’s Paris residency, including the star herself. “I had promised myself not to cry,” Dion told the crowd, per Variety. “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 seemed grateful to be back on stage, thanking the audience throughout the night for their support. “Thank you so very much for coming. If it’s your first time in Paris, I hope you fall in love with it just like I did. Finally, it’s amazing we are all together,” she said. “I made a promise to come back, to be back on stage. So here I am, singing for you and singing for me, singing live! Thank you so very much for your support, your patience and if I may say so, I am everything I am because you loved me.” She reminded the crowd that you never know what someone else is going through and what it took for them to be there tonight, adding, “But look around here—all around you, right here in this room—we don’t know what the person next to us is going through. There are people going through hardships, grief, and sorrow. There are people radiating energy and joy. So let’s take that energy and share it. That’s what music is for. Tonight, we’ll sing, we’ll dance, and we’ll celebrate.”

This is Dion’s first full concert in over six years. She’s been battling Stiff-Person Syndrome, a rare disease affecting one in a million people, for the last few years, and it’s affected her ability to perform — she canceled her 2022 tour due to her health. Dion has since been trying to train her body to come back to full concert mode, as she’s only done smaller but mighty performances, like at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Thankfully, Dion has seemingly been recovering well and having fun, being caught dancing for fans in Paris ahead of her residency.

Her heart will go on and so will the show.