Céline Dion’s Paris comeback draws emotional crowd of thousands

PARIS — Thousands of Céline Dion fans gathered along the streets of Paris ahead of the singer’s comeback concert Saturday evening at the Plenitude Arena.

For many, it was a test of patience and determination to get their hands on one of the highly coveted tickets to the first of the Quebec legend’s 16 sold-out shows in the city this year.

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“I really had to fight for it,” said Elda Vauttier, 57, originally from the Yvelines region of France.

“Unfortunately, I only got one ticket tonight, so I couldn’t bring my daughter, who’s also a fan. But luckily, I managed to buy more for May.”

Vauttier, whose son lives in Montreal, has been a fan of Dion since childhood. She has previously seen her perform twice in Paris and once in Las Vegas.

“I experience all my emotions with her — happiness, sadness,” she said.

“Céline is everywhere in my life. She’s a beautiful person, a warm soul who always gives her all despite her own problems. You can’t help but love her.”

Other fans travelled far for the occasion.

Frédérique Lauzon and Alexandrine Derome, two Montreal-based flight attendants, took advantage of their layover to snag some last-minute tickets.

“I think she’s going to put on a spectacular show,” said Derome.

This will be Derome’s 24th time attending a Dion performance.

“I’ve seen her in Las Vegas, Montreal, Quebec City, Paris, and during the tapings of special TV shows in Montreal,” she said.

Marie-Caroline Honnet was attending her first Dion concert at the 33,000-capacity indoor venue. She and her sister travelled from Caen, in Normandy, to share the moment.

“It’s a family passion,” Honnet said. “It even spans generations — my niece is already learning Céline’s songs.”

Nicolas Enème came from Avignon in southern France.

“It’s something extraordinary,” said Enème, delighted to be able to attend the performance.

“We thought we’d never see her again. Tonight feels like a miracle.”

“I don’t have any particular expectations,” Enème added. “Just that she enjoys herself and that she makes us happy — that alone would be amazing!”

Dion’s last tour was cancelled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2022 she revealed that she was suffering from stiff-person syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease that prevented her from returning to the stage at the time.

Although the singer gave a moving performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics of Hymne à l’amour that lit up the Eiffel Tower, these will be her first full concerts in six years. Another 10 shows are scheduled for next year.

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