French-Canadian music icon Céline Dion has shared a message with her fans following her emotional return to the stage on Friday at the close of the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony.
“I’m honoured to have performed tonight, for the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony, and so full of joy to be back in one of my very favourite cities! Most of all, I’m so happy to be celebrating these amazing athletes, with all their stories of sacrifice and determination, pain and perseverance,” Dion wrote on X.
“All of you have been so focused on your dream, and whether or not you take home a medal, I hope that being here means that it has come true for you! You should all be so proud, we know how hard you have worked to be the best of the best. Stay focused, keep going, my heart is with you! – Celine xx …” she concluded.
As the torch was lit and floated into the sky, Dion, dressed in a glittering, bead-adorned dress, performed on the base of the Eiffel Tower, giving a powerful rendition of Edith Piaf’s classic song Hymne de l’Amour (Hymn To Love) from a platform on the Eiffel Tower as the final number of the ceremony.
Canadian premier Justin Trudeau heralded his countrywoman on X, writing: "A proud Quebecer from Charlemagne is on stage at the Opening Ceremony! @celinedion is a Canadian icon, an incredible talent, and she overcame a lot to be there tonight. Céline, it’s great to see you singing again.”
This marks the pop legend’s first performance since halting her touring schedule and stepping away from the spotlight back in 2019 after revealing that she had been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological condition. She recently shared insights into her health battle in the Prime Video documentary "I Am: Celine".
Dion arrived in Paris on Monday at the Royal Monceau Hotel near the Champs-Élysées, where Lady Gaga was also staying.
The Canadian icon teased that a comeback may be imminent in an April interview with Vogue France, in which she said: “I’ve chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team. I want to be the best I can be. My goal is to see the Eiffel Tower again!”.
Dion added that she was working every day to get stronger. “For four years I’ve been saying to myself that I’m not going back, that I’m ready, that I’m not ready… As things stand, I can’t stand here and say to you: ‘Yes, in four months. I don’t know… My body will tell me,” she noted.
The ceremony took place outside of a stadium for the first time in history and showcased some of Paris’ iconic landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower.
Besides Dion, the event brought together 3,500 actors, dancers, and musical performers.
The secret of her comeback was kept under wraps until her arrival in Paris, where she was spotted coming in and out of her hotel, the Royal Monceau, attracting floods of fans.
While she signed autographs and posed for photos, including one with France’s first lady Brigitte Macron, Dion didn’t confirm that she was going to perform at the Opening Ceremony.
According to the Le Figaro newspaper, Olympics organizers have made artists involved sign a confidentiality agreement whose breach can cost up to €250,000 in some contracts.
The outdoor setting could present technical challenges, but the organizers have limited risks of glitches by pre-recording the voices of all performers, including Dion’s, per Le Figaro. The immersive audio from the performances, meanwhile, will be produced through walls positioned along the Seine.
This is not Dion’s first Olympics show. She kicked off the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, singing “The Power of the Dream.”
The ceremony was watched by a record 3.5 billion people around the world.
The famed singer also recently voiced a video for Canadian Olympians called “L’invincible courage,” along with Michael J. Fox.
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