Iconic Canadian pop singer Céline Dion has kicked off her long-awaited comeback show in Paris on Saturday, after a six-year hiatus due to health issues.

The 58-year-old superstar was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome in 2022, which forced her to pull back from touring.

Dion, one of the best-selling musical artists of all time, has not performed a full show since a 2020 concert in New Jersey - the last before the Covid pandemic cut her tour short. In 2024, she performed just one song at the Paris Olympics closing ceremony.

Saturday marked the first of Dion's 26-show residency at the Paris La Défense Arena, Europe's largest covered concert arena. "I made a promise," she told the Paris audience of about 30,000 people in her emotional return.

"I made a promise to come back, to be back on stage. And here I am. Singing for you, and singing for me," she said.

"I am everything I am because you loved me," she told the crowd.

She also broke down in tears after finishing a song, telling the audience: "I had promised myself not to cry."

"But I'm so happy to see you all. I missed you."

They weren't the only tears of the night, as the star appeared to be overcome with emotion several times.

Dion will be performing in Paris throughout September and October and into the New Year.

The Mirror's Lucy Needham noted that the singer was 50 minutes late to start, and may have needed extra time to "compose herself" for the "emotionally charged return".

"Eyes-brimming, the veteran singer gave herself little nods of approval after every line, before finally breaking down at the end of the track, seemingly overwhelmed at having made it through."

After beginning her set in a black gown, she later changed into a trouser suit "to show off some of those signature kooky dance moves," says Needham, adding that she appeared "to be having the time of her life, gyrating and slapping her thighs with glee".

The night was a "a tense, tearful, joyous affair probably even more so for the singer than for her loyal audience," writes The Telegraph's Neil McCormick.

She started out slow, he says. "Her voice sounded fragile and exposed, but at least it was her distinctive voice, not some autotuned approximation."

"At first, she was clearly struggling to hold herself together," he continues. "Her vocals wobbled dangerously, as if about to crack or collapse. But she was gaining confidence with every moment back on stage."

She broke down in tears as the audience roared in approval after the first song, and addressed the crowd in both French and English during the set.

"This was a high-stakes, high-wire return, perhaps the riskiest comeback in the history of showbusiness," McCormick continues, referring to her health condition.

But he concludes: "I honestly think I prefer this less superhuman Céline. Her voice is still great, but a bit more raw and real, with a rougher tone, less smoothness in the runs and more edge to her whoops and shrieks."

Sarah Leavitt, reporting from Paris for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), said the crowd "was left without words" by the stunning performance.

She noted that she didn't want to cry, but "of course she cried right away."

Dion also "endeared herself" to the crowd by saying during one song that she wanted to stop and start over.

Will Hodgkinson at the Times of London writes in his review, "miraculously, her art will go on," that the performance was "overwhelming".

She "looked suitably humbled and tearful" as she emerged, he said, going on to praise the stage direction.

"Truly, she was throwing the love at the crowd, who threw it right back at her. There was no holding back. It was quite overwhelming, actually," he writes.

The performance was "complete with both costume, key change and air of tragic, important romance".

"Céline Dion's strength lies in being a diva with the common touch while being as French as they get, even if she is Canadian. She fulfilled that role with all the verve you could hope for," writes Hodgkinson.

"The concert had a spiritual feel, with visual interludes steeped in biblical imagery alluding to a pilgrimage," Elsa Keslassy writes for Variety.

In video clips, Dion is seen wandering in a desert. "The set design was highly cinematic, with a monumental staircase sweeping up one side and a moon dominating the stage, while the backdrop appeared to have a stark, almost brutalist gray texture."

The star, known for power ballads like My Heart Will Go On and Because You Loved Me, has said she will not let her diagnosis control her life.

"The way I see it, I have two choices. Either I train like an athlete and work super hard, or I switch off and it's over," she told French Vogue magazine in 2024.

"I've chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team."

When Dion announced the first leg of her Paris residency back in March, nine million fans signed up for early access tickets to the concerts, French outlet FRI reported.

The shows sold out so fast that her management company soon announced an additional 10 shows scheduled for May 2027, which have also since sold out.

Fans who were unable to snag tickets to one of the highly anticipated shows have not been left out entirely - events honouring Dion's comeback have dominated Paris in recent weeks.

Céline Dion tribute boat cruises on Seine - complete with costume contests, sing-alongs, DJ sets, are happening throughout September.

Ahead of Saturday's show, fans gathered outside Dion's Paris hotel, LeRoyal Monceau, as early as 06:00 local time to catch a glimpse of the star.

Paris City Hall organised a massive karaoke event on Friday night, attended by thousands, to celebrate Dion's return to the stage.

"I couldn't get tickets to the concert. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed and hoping, but I thought to myself: at least I can share a moment here with all the fans," Rania, a participant at the event, told Reuters.

Earlier this week, thousands of fans also gathered at a historic theatre in central Paris for two nights of karaoke and activities inspired by Dion's music.

And Paris venues and night clubs are hosting Dion-themed events around the city on Saturday night for fans who couldn't get tickets to the actual show.

Source: BBC

-Agencies