In an emotional and triumphant evening for international music, Céline Dion returned to the live stage on Saturday night (September 12), performing her first full-length concert in approximately six years. Opening her brand-new residency at the Plenitude Arena just outside Paris, France, the 58-year-old vocal titan delivered a powerful, sweeping performance before an estimated 30,000 adoring fans, proving that her legendary voice and spirit remain undiminished.
The milestone performance marked Dion’s first complete concert appearance since March 2020, when the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly halted her Courage World Tour. The pop icon subsequently canceled remaining dates to focus on her health following her diagnosis with Stiff-Person Syndrome, a rare neurological condition. Prior to taking the stage Saturday, Dion was seen outside her hotel, walking hand-in-hand with her eldest son, René-Charles Angélil, and warmly greeting crowds of fans who had gathered to welcome her back to the French capital.
Dressed in a breathtaking floor-length black strapless gown complemented by high-jewelry pieces from Boucheron, Dion took the stage to overwhelming applause. She kicked off the evening with her classic French-language track “On ne change pas”—a opening selection she had closely guarded prior to showtime, playfully telling reporters upon her arrival in France that her first song was “a big secret.”
The gravity of the moment was visible from the opening notes. Dion visibly wiped away tears during the emotionally charged opening number before soaring through an ambitious multi-genre setlist that seamlessly blended her signature power ballads, French classics, and dynamic medleys. The evening featured several live rarities, including “Les derniers seront les premiers” (performed for the first time since 2009) and the full version of “Ne bouge pas” (unheard live in its entirety since 2003), alongside the live debuts of “The Chase” and “Dansons.”
From the dramatic high notes of “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” to an soaring encore featuring “All by Myself,” Dion’s return to the spotlight served as a masterclass in resilience and vocal artistry.
Céline Dion’s Opening Night Setlist:
On ne change pas
Destin
Because You Loved Me
Encore un soir
Les derniers seront les premiers (first time performed since 2009)
Tout l’or des hommes
The Power of Love
My Heart Will Go On
Beauty and the Beast
The Chase (live debut)
J’irai ou tu iras
Ne bouge pas (first time performed in full since 2003)
Dans un autre monde
I Feel Love / I’m Alive / That’s the Way It Is / Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
Dansons (live debut)
Un garcon pas comme les autres
Courage
Love Can Move Mountains
The Prayer
It’s All Coming Back to Me Now
Je chanterai
Ebben? Ne andro lontana
Encore
All by Myself
Pour que tu m’aimes encore
S’il suffisait d’aimer
(Note: Setlist tracks remain subject to modification for future residency dates)
