Céline Dion made a highly anticipated comeback, with Édith Piaf's Hymne à l'amour on the Eiffel Tower at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony. It was the artist's first live performance since early 2020, after health-related cancellations, including her Las Vegas residency and the Courage world tour.
Dion's emotional performance was met with roaring applause. Critics described the comeback as the top moment of an outdoor ceremony conducted under heavy rain.
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Céline Dion performs at the 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony
(Photo: Screengrab by IOC via Getty Images)
Dion was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome in December 2022.
The 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games officially opened with a wet but glitzy opening ceremony featuring feathers, heavy metal, and fashion shows.
The opening ceremony was a grand cultural spectacle, celebrating French arts and heritage, with performances by Olympic stars, and pop icons, including Lady Gaga, and Aya Nakamura.
Kelly Clarkson praised Dion's talent, describing her as a "vocal athlete."
The ambitious ceremony was directed by Thomas Jolly along the Seine River. Jolly said it was obvious to ask Dion to close the ceremony with the love anthem.
Dion previously performed at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta with David Foster.
Despite her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis, Dion made sparing appearances at award shows, red carpets, and the premiere of her documentary I Am: Celine Dion, highlighting her struggles with the condition.
She hinted at a comeback in an interview with Vogue France in April.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: The Guardian, Reuters, Express Digest, Daily Mail, NBC News, Business Insider, CNN, The Washington Post, Sky News, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Le Monde, CBC News, South China Morning Post.