Celine Dion shed tears as she kicked off her eagerly anticipated 16-date residency tonight at Plenitude Arena on the outskirts of Paris, marking her first major series of live shows since stepping away from the spotlight in 2022.
Speaking of the uphill battle she waged with her health, Dion said, “By living with it day in and day out, I’ve come to terms with it. And I’ve decided to make it my reason for living.”
Not all of those hardcore fans will make it to the Paris concerts, however. Some may be turned away if they unknowingly bought fake tickets from the more than 200 fraudulent websites and social media accounts that popped up right when presale tickets went on sale in April, according to the Associated Press, which quoted Group-IB, a Singapore-based cybersecurity firm.
More than 33,000 people are expected at the Plenitude Arena. As much as 60% of the set list is expected to be from her French repertoire, mainly songs penned and composed by Jean-Jacques Goldman, including “Pour que tu m’aimes encore” and “J’irai où tu iras.” She’s also teased that her first show will last over two hours in an informal chat with fans in front of her hotel and told them to wear comfortable shoes, as reported by France Info.
Rumors have been circulating about a potential surprise duo with Beyoncé who happens to be in the French capital with Jay-Z, who gave a concert in Paris two days ago.
Dion’s Paris concerts were originally scheduled for 2020 at Paris La Defense Arena as part of her Courage World Tour, but were postponed due to the pandemic and then delayed again due to her health issues. In 2022, Dion was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), a rare neurological and autoimmune disorder that causes muscular stiffness, inhibiting the ability to walk and sing. Her fans lost hope she would ever come back after seeing Dion struggle against this illness in the 2024 documentary “I Am: Celine Dion,” which was directed by Irene Taylor.
