Entertainment12 September, 20262 min read
Céline Dion Returns to Stage in Paris, Performing at La Défense Arena for First Concert in Six Years
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Céline Dion returned to the stage in Paris after a six-year hiatus. Opened at La Défense Arena in Nanterre with On ne change pas.
Dion returns in Paris
Céline Dion returned to the stage in Paris for her first concert in over six years on Saturday, September 12, performing at La Défense Arena in Nanterre as the beginning of her Paris residency. The show spanned four acts plus a four-song encore, moving between her French- and English-language catalogs across 26 songs, including “On ne change pas” and “My Heart Will Go On.”
Dion began the evening with the French-language “On ne change pas,” appearing visibly emotional as she wiped away tears while receiving a thunderous standing ovation from a sold-out crowd of more than 30,000 fans. Reuters reported that Dion told the crowd, “I’m standing on stage in this city I love so much thanks to your support and your love,” and added that she said, “The path was rocky, the road was longer than planned but I held on.”
Tears, setlist, and quotes
Multiple outlets described Dion breaking down in tears early in the performance, with People saying she stopped seconds into “On Ne Change Pas” after becoming visibly choked up.
In the same opening moments, CBC reported Dion told the crowd in Nanterre, “I promised not to cry,” as she performed a rendition of 1998’s “On Ne Change Pas” and stopped partway through.
Dion’s setlist included live debuts such as “The Chase,” “Dansons,” and “Je chanterai,” plus the first full performance of “Ne bouge pas” since 2003 and the first live rendition “Les derniers seront les premiers” since 2009.
Consequence of Sound also said Dion delivered an operatic performance of Catalani’s “Ebben? Ne andrò lontana” before returning for an encore featuring “All by Myself,” “Pour que tu m’aimes encore,” and “S’il suffisait d’aimer,” closing the night with “Des milliers de baisers.”
Residency dates and health
Dion’s Paris run is scheduled to continue with her second of 10 shows at La Défense Arena on Wednesday, September 16, followed by performances on September 19, 23, 26, and 30, and October 3, 7, 10, and 14.
Reuters described the residency as a first of a series of concerts in Paris after a six-year absence, and it framed her return as overcoming the health struggles that began after her 2022 diagnosis of stiff person syndrome.
People reported that Dion, 58, returned after her career as a live performer was sidelined first by the COVID-19 pandemic and then by her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis, and it said her last full concert took place in March 2020 at New Jersey’s Prudential Center.
In a March video message, Dion said, “I’m getting the chance to see you, to perform for you once again in Paris, beginning in September! I’m feeling good, I’m strong, I’m feeling excited, obviously a little nervous, but most of all, I’m grateful to all of you!”