Celine Dion’s last performed live on July 5, 2019, at the British Summer Time festival in Hyde Park in London; her planned in 2022, as she announced she was suffering “severe and persistent muscle spasms.” She was diagnosed in with , a rare autoimmune neurological disorder characterized by her symptoms often triggered by noise, touch, or stress. Tonight, at the , the Canadian diva performed for the first time since being diagnosed beneath the Eiffel Tower.
Singing Edith Piaf’s “L’Hymne à l’amour,” Dion , as if only days, rather than half a decade, had passed since her last time on stage. Standing beneath the Olympic Rings, accompanied by a grand piano, and doused by the rain that had drenched the athletes during the Parade of Nations, Dion made a triumphant return that brought hope to viewers of her rumored and tears to the choked-up commentary team, who recounted her struggles through their emotions. Céline Dion performing at the opening ceremony of the .
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) Dion described the symptoms of Stiff Person Syndrome in a , saying, “If I can’t run, I’ll walk. If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl. And I won’t stop.
I won’t stop.” You can watch the performance (at least, until the inevitable copyright strikes get it removed) above..