Tear-stricken Celine Dion halts Paris comeback as crowd roar her to continue

Tear-stricken Celine Dion halts Paris comeback as crowd roar her to continue The Mirror was live inside Plenitude Arena to witness Céline Dion's incredible return to the stage as she put on a show to remember in her first concert since her Stiff Person's Syndrome diagnosis After six years away, Céline Dion stepped onto a concert stage again - and she couldn't hide her emotion. The 58-year-old icon burst into tears the second she stepped on stage. The Mirror was inside Paris's Plenitude Arena to witness the superstar's extraordinary comeback - with surprise covers, countless outfit changes and a setlist bursting with the best the Canadian superstar has to offer. It all came on a night that once seemed impossible following her devastating Stiff Person Syndrome diagnosis. Céline has faced years of uncertainty, gruelling rehabilitation, painful spasms and fears that she might never perform again. But tonight, all that hard work faced its ultimate test as she performed live in front of 40,000 people - and she put on a show to remember. Setlist in full: - 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 By Lucy Needham in Paris. Celine is addressing the crowd and says: "There are hundreds of people you don't see behind the stage, above, on the sides, everywhere. Thank you to everyone, because we made this show together. "Thank you to everyone. And to you. I love you. Be safe. Take good care. I am so delighted to be here. Thank you for answering my invitation. I love you my darlings. Take good care of yourselves. "Be careful. See you soon! Thank you so much for this evening! Thank you. I love you." And she's off! What a show. She's put on quite the show! But all good things must com to an end. Celine is joined on stage again by her Gospel choir. With Celine in the middle she shares her thanks. After belting out THAT final note if All By Myself, feared by karaoke enthusiasts everywhere, Celeine takes a gulp of breath and puffs out her cheeks in sheer relief. She did it! She's a woman of many outfits! After some brief time off stage, Celine returns wrapped in a faux fur pink coat. She walks out onto a rock podium that has been positioned centre stage in her absence. As if the crowd weeren't impressed by her vocals tonight, Celine leaves any sceptics shuddering with an operatic performance of O Patria Mia (also known as the Nile Aria) by Giuseppe Verdi, with the crowd erupting. The crowd jumped to their feet as she started singing All Coming Back To Me Now. And she was helped through the iconic tune by her Gospel Choir with an impeccable version. That's change number four for the music icon. After some Dune-inspired visuals, Celine returns to the stage in a Grecian gold gown with a shimmering transparent train. She's joined by a gospel choir as she performs a rousing rendition of Love Can Move Mountains. As Celine leaves the stage, a video plays of the star in a black leotard performing a ballet routine with a group of dancers. It's a testament to the work she has done to get back on stage, citing ballet as helping her recovery. And there's the second surprise cover of the night! Fans are loving it as the famous bassline of Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams kicks in. And Celine is loving it too! She is having some fun on stage with the violinists and larking about with her jerky dancemoves. By Lucy Needham in Paris. After a series of fast paced songs have Celine high kicking and squatting on stage, she launches into a surprise cover of I Feel Love. Celine is having an absolute ball on stage now and all her emotion is gone. After an intro of I Feel Love, she seemlessly slips into her hit I'm Alive. The band start up Map To My Heart and Celine sings the first few notes but halts the show. "Can I start that again?," she asks. "I made mistake." Of course, her fans are more than happy to allow her this restart and she hits every single note perfectly second time around. Faultless and adored! It's not just her songs that are on point - her outfits are too! What an icon! By Lucy Needham in Paris. The singer ends My Heart Will Go On (with the crowd singing every word) in spectacular fashion, building up to that spine-tingling finish. As she sings the final note, the stadium bursts into a chant of Celine! Celine! She doens't have a chance to pause, though, as she launches straight into Tale As Old As Time. As she sings the line "sometimes I'm frightened but I'm ready to learn," she points a finger to the sky. She looks emotional but doesn't miss a note. She hits the high note at the very end and smashes her fists hight as the lights go down. When they come back up, she's in tears again. "Merci," she tells her adoring crowd twice. By Lucy Needham in Paris. And so are we.... Five songs in and Celine looks like she's having the time of her life. She's yodelling, fist pumping and playing the air guitear. To fans at the front's delight she's strutting around the stage and getting as close to them as she can. And there's a thumbs up from Celine.. The next song is I'm Your Lady and as fans cheer in appeciation at the opening note, she gives them a thumbs up. She carries the rest of the song faultlessly. by Lucy Needham in Paris. Celine is blowing kisses to the crowd and huge cheers are heard everytime she hits a high note after concern about her vocals. Anyone concerned about her voice after her illness need not have worried. She's singing live and very well. Celine has spoken in English for the first time of the night after her second song. "Finally, it's amazing we are all together. I made a promise. I made a promise to come back, to be back on stage, so here I am. Singing for you and singing for me. "Thank you very much for your support and your patience, and if I may say so I am everything I am, ...." And then there's time for a true classic by the icon: "Because You Love Me!" The singer was seen trying to compose herself as the moment clearly became too much. But the crowd was there to support her, cheering her through every note. There are tears after all. Celine bursts into tears after her first song. We're here for you, Celine! By Lucy Needham in Paris. Celine Dion finally takes the stage. After a 50minute delay, Celine takes to the stage. She draws a huge breath as the crowd erupts with applause. For a few minutes she takes in the enormity of the occasion. It seems she can only smile and gasp and looks close to tears. Eventually she holds up her arms and gives a bow to the crowd And she's here!! The icon is on stage. Repeat, the icon is on stage! Uncertainty appears to be creeping in as to where Celine is. The singer said earlier this week the show was going to be one of her longest yet. Fans will be hoping she will be abnle to fit the setlist in! By Lucy Needham in Paris. Slight delay in Paris. Celine was rumoured to take to the stage at 8pm but is yet to step out to her adoring public. The crowd here are still waiting. The lights are still up as fans wait a bit longer for a glimpse of their idol. The crowd are chanting her name and willing her to come on. Céline had to explain the diagnosis to her three children in 2022. She recalled telling them: "'You lost your dad, [but] mom has a condition, and it’s different'."'I’m not going to die. It’s something that I’m going to learn to live with.'" She has a huge back catalogue, but what tune would you most look forward to? Let us know in the comments section. The atmosphere is electric inside waiting for Celine to sing that first note. Disco tracks are keeping the crowd warmed up but they are also keeping themselves entertained with Mexican waves and singalongs. There are two huge black curtains on stage corrugated like fans. There are sure to be huge screams in the arena when Celine finally emerges. Fans have been waiting a LONG time for this. The stadium holds 40,000 making it the largest indoor venue in Europe. Everyone is bound to be in full voice within minutes. The all important merch… Fans are snapping up a little piece of Celine in the form of hoodies, t-shirts and hand held fans. For Titanic lovers you can even purchase a heart of the ocean keyring complete with blue love heart. It’s 15 Euros but leonardo di caprio does not come as part of the deal. The most expensive item is a 105 euro cream hoodie with Celine’s name and the concert dates on the back. Fans are still slowly piling into the arena 30 minutes ahead of showtime. There are strict security checks with full body scanners and prohibited items including brollies and booze being taken off concert goers on arrival. Lucky night one ticket-holders have dressed up for the occasion in Celine t-shirts, brightly coloured outfits and LOTS of glitter. Many fans braving teetering high heels in homage to the fashionista queen. Pints of beer will set you back 10 Euros inside, a glass of wine 8 euros and a flute of champagne 12 euros. Soft drinks are 5 euros a glass. Those wanting to splash out, can treat themselves to a memento of a ‘goblets collector, plastic cup for 4 euros. Be warned queues to the bar are long with fans waiting over an hour to get served. There is no air con in the concourse so it’s thirsty work waiting in line The songs the Candian diva will sing are a closely-guarded secret and she teased fans this week in Paris that the opener is a 'big suprise.' Fans can expect classics including My Heart Will Go On, Think Twice and It’s All Coming Back To Me Now. She will likely perform her most popular songs in both French and English, with fans from around the world jetting in to Paris to see her in action. The five-time Grammy winner cancelled her Las Vegas residency due to health concerns in 2021, before revealing she had been diagnosed with Stiff Persons Syndrome in December 2022 and cancelling her Courage world tour. The autoimmune disease is a rare neurological disorder that causes progressive muscular stiffness and spasms, and there is currently no cure. Sufferers can feel locked inside their own bodies and can struggle with simple tasks like walking or swallowing. After revealing her diagnosis, Dion took a break from performing until 2024, when she made a brief public appearance to sing at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. The singer repeatedly expressed her desire to return to the stage.