Celine Dion is rumored to make a comeback performance at the Paris Olympics. According to Variety, she is expected to return to the stage at the opening ceremony of the Olympics. This news was further fueled by BBC reporting that Celine Dion greeted fans in Paris the day before and hinted at a comeback performance at the Olympic opening ceremony.
In December 2022, Celine Dion was diagnosed with Stiff-Person Syndrome (SPS), a rare neurological condition. SPS induces muscle stiffness, causing the body to become rigid and triggering muscle spasms in response to sound, touch, and emotional stimuli. Patients with this condition may experience difficulties walking or moving and may even fall due to reactions to car horns and noise. The treatment for this condition has not yet been established, and Celine Dion had to cancel her world tour last May due to this illness. If she performs at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, it will mark her comeback after a hiatus of 1 year and 8 months.
Variety also reported that Celine Dion and Lady Gaga, who is also considered a headliner for the event, are staying at a hotel near Champs-Élysées in Paris. Specific details about the performance are being kept confidential, but there is a possibility that Celine Dion may perform in front of a famous landmark in Paris.
In an interview with Vogue France in April this year, Celine Dion hinted at her comeback, stating that she plans to work with medical professionals to give her all both physically and mentally. She expressed her desire to do her best and her goal of seeing the Eiffel Tower again. French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea also mentioned in an interview with French broadcaster France 2 last month that Celine Dion’s performance is within the realm of possibility.
The Paris Olympics opening ceremony will showcase a parade along the Seine River with a climax near the Trocadero, facing the Eiffel Tower. This event, which takes place outside of the stadium for the first time in history, will feature iconic locations in Paris and involve 3500 actors, dancers, and musicians.
Celine Dion’s appearance at the Olympic opening ceremony is not a first for her. She performed “The Power of the Dream” at the opening ceremony of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, which was watched by an estimated 3.5 billion viewers worldwide.