Celine Dion Makes First Public Appearance in 2 Years Ahead of Paris Comeback Shows

Celine Dion just stepped out for an extremely rare public sighting in Paris, France.

The iconic entertainer, 58, was spotted in the City of Light on Friday, August 28, arriving in Paris ahead of her sold-out comeback shows in September. It’s her first major outing since 2024.

In the photos obtained by Closer, Dion smiled, blew kisses, and waved at fans outside of Le Royal Monceau hotel, where she wore an all-Alaïa getup including a chic tan trench coat and black boots. She wore her hair pulled back, pairing the look with black sunglasses.

The “My Heart Will Go On” singer will kick off a 16-show residency in the French city on September 12. The concerts will continue through October at the Plenitude Arena, and are her first full shows since revealing her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis. She’ll later return for 10 additional shows in May 2027.

Her last public appearance was also in France, as she performed “Hymne à l’amour” atop the Eiffel Tower for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Speaking with French broadcaster BFMTV on Friday morning, Dion said, “I am ready and I’m a bit uptight of course because it’s been a long time.” Adding that she’s “always felt supported” and feels like Paris “is my second home,” the Grammy Award winner wouldn’t reveal which song she’ll open her show with.

“I can’t say, it’s a big secret,” she teased.

Dion first revealed news of her stiff person syndrome diagnosis back in December 2022. Per Johns Hopkins, stiff person syndrome is a “rare autoimmune neurological disorder that most commonly causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms that come and go and can worsen over time.”

“I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through,” she said in an Instagram video at the time.

Back in March 2026, a source told Closer that “nobody could deny that Celine has made great progress,” saying the mother-of-three has “a far more comfortable life than she could have dreamed of having” when she first got her diagnosis.

The source, however, added, “But putting herself up for this type of physical challenge is a step too far, as far as a lot of people in her world are concerned. It’s not just about her voice being ready, more the physical exertion and overall stress that she’s putting herself through.”

Criticism of her Olympic performance “riled Celine,” the source continued. “She’s aching to get back on stage and show everyone what she’s capable of, even if privately she, herself, would agree it comes at a huge risk.”