Celine Dion has made an emotional return to the stage in Paris, launching a 26-date residency that fans thought might never happen.

The 58-year-old singer is performing 16 sold-out shows between September and October at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, with ten more dates set for May 2027. Around 30,000 fans packed the opening night for her first full concert in six years.

Dion revealed in December 2022 that she has stiff-person syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that causes severe muscle stiffness and spasms. Many believed she would never perform again. Hundreds of fans gathered daily outside her hotel just to catch a glimpse, and a giant karaoke singalong drew crowds ahead of the opening show.

Over her four-decade career, Dion has sold around 260 million albums in English and French. Hits like “My Heart Will Go On” and “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” have made her one of the best-selling artists in history.

Why it matters: comebacks do not get bigger than this. For fans who waited years through her illness, seeing Dion sing again in Paris is a moment they will not forget.