Céline Dion fans gather in Paris as singer prepares for sold-out comeback shows — SkimNews
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- Céline Dion launched her sold-out comeback concerts at Paris's Plenitude arena on Saturday before more than 30,000 fans, four years after being diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that had broken her ribs through muscle spasms and triggered seizures.
- Paris city hall hosted a free outdoor karaoke for 10,000 people on Friday, with Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire calling Dion "an artist of the people" whose music has the "singular power to bring together and build a society."
- The 16-date residency at La Défense's Plenitude arena — the biggest indoor concert venue in Europe — combined with further sold-out dates in May is expected to inject up to €800m (£690m) into the Paris region, a figure the source says could eclipse the local profits from Taylor Swift and Beyoncé's previous Paris shows.
- Ticket demand reflected the frenzy: about 9 million people had registered for April's pre-sale lottery, and shows sold out within hours as fans arrived at Galeries Lafayette department stores before opening to buy Dion merchandise and signature macarons.
- Dion, 58, is reshaping her typical French setlist for the run, planning longer-than-usual performances and adding English-language hits like "My Heart Will Go On" alongside her French material, since attendees have travelled from North America and beyond for the only Paris venue on the schedule.
- Dion's 2024 documentary "I Am: Céline Dion" chronicled the severity of her condition, including episodes where she could not walk, while her team has shielded her by keeping the concert content secret and limiting her public appearances to brief greetings with fans from a safe distance.
Why it matters: The Paris region expects the residency and additional May dates to deliver up to €800m — potentially eclipsing the local boost from Taylor Swift and Beyoncé concerts. Dion told fans the shows will run longer than usual, walking a careful line between giving a full performance and protecting a health condition she has not fully recovered from.
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