Celine Dion has kept her appearances rare since revealing her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis. But after three years of keeping a low profile, she is reportedly planning a return to the stage with a possible Paris residency.
© COURTESY ELIE SAABThe 57-year-old iconic singer, who has largely stayed out of the public eye aside from social media, is reportedly preparing for a return to the stage, according to reporting from La Presse. If the insider is correct, she could be headlining a series of shows at Paris La Défense Arena as early as September.
Nothing has been officially confirmed by her team, but there are clues. On Monday, amid the rumors, she shared a gallery of photos on her Instagram of herself over the years in Paris. The caption, written in French, read, "Je sais pas comment te dire..." which means, "I don't know how to tell you..."
The venue is one of the largest in Europe, with a capacity of around 40,000, and there are no shows listed for fall, which La Presse notes could mean they're holding dates for what appears to be a major, still-unannounced event.
The La Presse insider told the outlet that Dion is expected to perform two nights a week throughout September and October, a schedule that would allow her time to rest while managing her condition.
Dion's last tour was the Courage World Tour in 2020, which included 42 nights across Europe. But it was postponed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic and health issues. She revealed in 2022 that she had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms.
The condition forced her to cancel the remainder of her Courage World Tour and step away from performing. She made a big return at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
© HandoutAccording to a source cited by La Presse, her condition is now “under control,” though the unpredictability of the disease remains a factor.
Adding more to the clues, teaser posters featuring some of her most iconic songs, including " My Heart Will Go On " and The Power of Love, have appeared across Paris, further fueling speculation that the announcement is coming soon.
© GettyOf course, the hope is that Dion doesn't experience any episodes. In her documentary I Am: Celine Dion, she spoke candidly about the realities of living with the illness. A scene shows her having a seizure, then, in tears, saying, “I don’t know how to express it, like, it’s just … you know, like, to not have control of yourself?”
She said the episode happened because her brain "was overstimulated" after singing in the studio. "If I can’t get stimulated by what I love, and then I’m gonna go onstage and, like, you’re gonna put the pulse oximeter on me, and you’re gonna turn me on my back?” she asks.
© Roy Rochlin
