Celine Dion cried tears of joy Saturday as she fulfilled her dream of returning to the stage after years battling a rare neurological disorder with a sold-out concert in Paris. The 58-year-old French-Canadian singer seemed visibly moved as she opened her first full concert in six years with her ’90s French-language ballad “On ne change pas” (“One does not change”), singing to a crowd of 30,000 captivated fans. “These are, of course, tears of joy. I am so delighted to see you,” Dion said, blowing kisses to the audience at the packed Plenitude Arena on the western edge of Paris. Canadian singer Celine Dion reacts as she performs during her first concert of a residency at the Plenitude Arena west of Paris on September 12, 2026. Thomas SAMSON /AFP via Getty Images Her return to the stage underscored a remarkable comeback after stiff person syndrome, an incurable condition that causes stiffness and cramps, which forced her to cancel shows and led to years of uncertainty about whether she would ever perform again. “The road was more difficult than expected,” he said, speaking in French and English. “But I clung to a faint ray of light in the distance, deep in the mountains.” “Tonight I want to sing for you, sing for myself, sing for life,” he added. The mostly female audience wore sequined dresses and blouses, shiny cheeks and T-shirts adorned with the image of the star or nods to her greatest hits. “It’s unreal to be here!” said Elisabeth Landry, a 38-year-old Quebecer who lives near the star’s hometown of Charlemagne. “I was convinced we would never see her again, especially without embarking on a series of concerts like this.” The French newspaper Le Parisien stated that former first lady Michelle Obama “discreetly attended this first concert.” Just hours earlier, one of the best-selling singers of all time greeted her fans outside her luxury hotel, just steps from the Arc de Triomphe. Celine Dion performs at the opening night of her residency at Plenitude Arena on September 12, 2026, near Paris, France. Samir Hussein/WireImage via Getty Images Albertina Cabral, a fan from the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, said she could barely put her feelings into words. “It’s amazing to stay here, go to the concert and see Celine so close,” he said. “And she feels good, she’s happy.” Paris spared no effort to welcome Dion, attracting thousands of fans from around the world, including some who flew in from as far away as the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia. For days, Paris hosted costume contests, giant karaoke parties and tribute cruises along the Seine. On Friday, the iconic cauldron rose above the Tuileries Garden, echoing the diva’s surprise appearance at the Eiffel Tower to perform Edith Piaf’s “Ode to Love” during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics in 2024. The song’s lyrics, “I’d go find the moon if you asked me,” along with the singer’s first name, were projected in large letters on the balloon. The suburban train station serving the stadium was temporarily renamed “Celine”. Chloe and Katy Rydquist, who traveled from London, had spent around $2,000 on their tickets, saying Dion’s return to the stage justified the cost. “She’s a legend,” Chloe said. The star’s residence is expected to generate hundreds of millions of euros in financial benefits. He begins his 26-date run with 16 sold-out shows in September and October, before returning for another 10 in May. Fans who ran out of tickets found other ways to catch a glimpse of their idol. Dion has regularly emerged from the Royal Monceau hotel to greet waiting fans, sometimes breaking into song and dancing with them into the early hours of the morning. Over her four-decade career, Dion has sold around 260 million albums in English and French, with hits including “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” and “Because You Loved Me.” Dion revealed in late 2022 that she had been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, this rare disorder is believed to be an autoimmune condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the body. It can cause “stiffness in the muscles of the torso, arms, and legs,” as well as “increased sensitivity to noise, touch, and emotional distress, which can lead to muscle spasms,” according to the NIH. It affects twice as many women as men, the NIH said, and is also believed to be a progressive disorder that worsens over time. While the symptoms can be treated with medications, there is no cure. According to the Johns Hopkins Stiff Person Syndrome Center, the disorder is estimated to affect only one or two people per million residents. Dion described it as if she was being strangled, with cramps so intense they left her with broken ribs. She has returned to the stage after what she has described as years of training “like an athlete,” doing ballet and Pilates several times a week, as well as voice therapy. More from CBS News Go deeper with The Free Press in:
