Celine Dion Makes a Grand Return at the Paris Olympics

Celine Dion made a triumphant return at the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony, delivering a powerful performance of Edith Piaf’s ‘L’Hymne A L’Amour.’ This marked her first live performance since revealing her battle with stiff person syndrome (SPS).

Reflecting on the event, Dion expressed her honour and joy at performing in Paris, a city she loves. She celebrated the athletes, acknowledging their stories of sacrifice, determination, and perseverance. Dion conveyed her admiration for their hard work, encouraging them to stay focused and proud, regardless of whether they won a medal.

Celine Dion last performed in 2020 in New York and was scheduled to embark on a world tour last year. However, she was forced to cancel all planned dates due to her condition, which impacts the brain and spinal cord, leading to muscle stiffness, posture issues, sensory problems, and painful spasms.

Dion has been candid about how the condition affects her voice in her documentary, ‘I Am: Celine Dion’. She shared with the filmmakers that she is currently unable to use her voice and expressed deep sorrow, saying, “Music… I miss it a lot. But also, the people. I miss them.”

Fans have responded to her return to the stage with heartfelt messages, including one that read: “Even the sky was crying listening to Celine Dion sing again.”

See more reactions to her performance below:

French media had widely speculated that Celine Dion and Lady Gaga would perform a duet of ‘La Vie En Rose.’ However, they each performed separately, with Gaga singing ‘Mon truc en plumes’ during the Opening Ceremony, followed by Dion.

In other news, U2 has announced the release of the ‘Zoo TV – Live In Dublin’ EP, featuring five tracks recorded during their summer 1993 show at the RDS. This concert was part of the European Zooropa leg of their iconic ZOO TV Tour and marked a significant hometown performance for the band. While bootlegged audio copies of this show have been circulating and highly sought after for years, this EP will be the first official release, making it a prized collectible for fans and collectors. ‘Zoo TV – Live In Dublin’ is scheduled for release on 30th August.

–Silviya.Y