More than 30,000 Céline Dion fans gathered in Paris on Saturday night for the Canadian singer's long-awaited return to the stage, four years after she revealed her diagnosis of stiff person syndrome, a rare and incurable neurological condition. The comeback has become a citywide celebration, with thousands of fans without tickets joining giant karaoke events across France, including a free outdoor sing-along for 10,000 people organised by Paris city hall, reflecting Dion's enduring popularity and the emotional significance of her health having stabilised enough to perform again.

Dion, 58, took a break from performing after her 2022 diagnosis, which caused severe muscle spasms strong enough to break her ribs and at times left her unable to walk; a 2024 documentary detailed the severity of her condition, including a seizure. Her sold-out residency at the Plenitude arena in La Défense, Europe's largest indoor venue, runs for 16 dates in September and October plus further dates in May, with around 9 million people having registered for the pre-sale ticket lottery in April. The concerts, whose content has been kept secret, are expected to boost the Paris region's economy by up to €800m, potentially surpassing the impact of previous shows by Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.