Celine Dion is set to return to the stage for her first concerts since she was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) in 2022.
The 57-year-old is reported to be preparing a twice-weekly residency this September and October at Paris La Défense Arena.
The French-Canadian newspaper La Presse broke the news Sunday, and by Monday posters had gone up around the French capital displaying the titles of various Dion songs including “Pour que tu m’aimes encore” and “Power of Love.”
The singer has not yet officially commented on the reports. The Independent has approached her representatives for confirmation.
Dion, who is the best-selling Canadian musician of all time, last headlined a show in Newark, New Jersey on March 8, 2020. Her “Courage” tour was subsequently cut short by the outbreak of the Covid pandemic.
In 2022 she was diagnosed with SPS, and the following year she announced that she was cancelling the remaining dates of her rescheduled tour.
In a statement at the time, she said: “I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100 per cent.”
When she first announced her diagnosis in December 2022, the “My Heart Will Go On” singer posted an emotional video to her Instagram page explaining that she had been diagnosed with SPS, which she said affects “every aspect of my daily life.”
She said that the rare condition has been causing muscle spasms which affect her ability to perform and sing. “I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time and it’s been really difficult for me to face my challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through,” Dion said in a teary-eyed video.
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She continued: “Recently I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called the Stiff Person Syndrome which affects one in a million people. While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what’s been causing all the spasms I’ve been having.”
“I miss you so much,” the singer told fans. “I always give 100 percent when I do my shows but my condition is not allowing me to give that to you right now”.
However, Dion assured fans that she had a “great team of doctors” working hard to help her get better, but admitted it had been a “struggle.”
In 2024, she made a rare appearance at the Grammy Awards, where she received a standing ovation. That same year, she made a brief, moving comeback performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, singing Edith Piaf’s “Hymne A L’Amour” from the Eiffel Tower.
