Celine Dion promised herself she would not cry. She broke that promise almost immediately.
The icon kicked off her sixteen date Paris residency this weekend at Plenitude Arena, marking her first major run of live shows since stepping away from the stage in 2022 to face a rare neurological disorder. More than 30,000 fans packed the venue, and by the time Dion opened her mouth, the tears were already there.
“I had promised myself not to cry,” she told the crowd. “I don’t keep my promises. But I’m so happy to see you all. I missed you.”
The two hour, twenty minute show moved through the catalog that made her a global institution: “The Power of Love,” “Because You Loved Me,” “All By Myself,” “My Heart Will Go On,” alongside French favorites like “Pour que tu m’aimes encore.” She swapped a corseted black gown for a feathered pink cape mid set, at one point channeling Maria Callas on the aria “Ebben? Ne andrò lontana.”
Before closing the night, Dion turned the spotlight away from herself. “There are hundreds of people you can’t see, behind the scenes, on the sides, everywhere,” she said. “Thank you all, because we put this show together.”
Paris has been in a full Celine frenzy for weeks. The metro stop near the arena was renamed in her honor, and fans have camped outside her hotel just to catch a glimpse. For a woman who once wondered if she would sing again, the return says everything her voice doesn’t have to.
“I made a promise to be back on stage,” she said. “So here I am, singing for you and singing for me, singing live.”
