Céline Dion performed the opening night of her long-awaited Paris residency on September 12 at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, Europe’s largest indoor arena. The 26-date residency runs through May 2027, with more than nine million people entering a lottery for ticket access.
Dion opened with an emotional rendition of “On Ne Change Pas,” accompanied by pianist Scott Price and four violinists. Within minutes of taking the stage, she became tearful, moved by the emotion of the moment after six years away from headlining concerts. She asked the audience if they could hear her heart beating.
The two-and-a-half-hour setlist included 29 songs spanning ballads, blockbusters, and a dancefloor section. Dion performed her 2026 French-language single “Dansons” live for the first time. Notable attendees included Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Aya Nakamura and Thomas Pesquet.
This marks Dion’s first major headlining performance since she publicly disclosed her diagnosis with stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological condition that had sidelined her from touring.
Source: Billboard
