Celine Dion is preparing to return to the stage after years away from regular performances, following a 17-year struggle with symptoms that were only diagnosed as stiff-person syndrome in 2022.
The 58-year-old singer is set to begin a five-week residency at Paris La Défense Arena, with the first 16 shows selling out shortly after tickets went on sale. Another 10 dates have since been added for May 2027.
Ahead of the comeback, Dion told Harper’s Bazaar that she spent years dealing with severe symptoms while trying to continue her career. At times, she said, the pain was so intense that she could barely walk, and she used Valium to keep functioning.
Her symptoms began long before doctors identified the cause. Dion said she sometimes blamed cancelled performances on ailments such as sinus infections before eventually receiving the stiff-person syndrome diagnosis.
She publicly announced the diagnosis in December 2022 and cancelled the remaining dates of her Courage World Tour. Her condition was later documented in the 2024 film I Am: Céline Dion, which showed her undergoing treatment and dealing with painful spasms.
Dion has since undergone medication, physical therapy, vocal therapy and immunotherapy. She said she has also been doing 90-minute Pilates sessions three times a week and practising ballet as part of her preparation to perform again.
She returned to the public stage at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she performed Édith Piaf’s Hymne à l’amour from the Eiffel Tower.
