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Céline Dion has performed for the first time in over a year, taking the stage at the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony.
Dion performed Edith Piaf’s Hymne à l’amour while standing on one of the observation decks of the Eiffel Tower, just after the lighting of the cauldron, to conclude the ceremony on Friday.
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In December 2022, Dion revealed she was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes muscle stiffness and, in her case, makes singing extremely difficult.
Her battle was chronicled in the recent documentary “I am: Celine Dion.” The singer has since vowed to return to performing, “even if I have to crawl.”
Dion’s performance earned praise from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calling her “a Canadian icon, an incredible talent.”
Dion was the grand finale of a show that ran for more than three hours and featured performances by Lady Gaga and Aya Nakamura. About 6,800 athletes paraded down the Seine River to the Eiffel Tower on dozens of boats.
In an April cover story for Vogue France, Dion told the magazine that her drive to sing live again pushed her to train like an athlete.
Dion performed at the 1996 Olympics opening ceremony in Atlanta, singing “The Power of the Dream” accompanied by Canadian producer David Foster on piano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
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