Celine Dion delivers stirring comeback performance at Paris Olympics opening ceremony

Against the rainy Paris night sky, Celine Dion staged the comeback of her career with a powerful performance from the Eiffel Tower to open the Olympic Games.

The triumphant return confirmed weeks of speculation that Quebec's crown jewel of pop would be part of the opening ceremony watched by millions around the world.

Even that anticipation couldn't foreshadow the poignancy of the moment — a defiant Dion singing her heart out from the edge of the tower less than two years after going public with her debilitating stiff person syndrome diagnosis.

Dressed in a sparkling Dior white beaded gown, Dion stood beneath the glowing Olympic rings while she sang Édith Piaf's “L’Hymne à l’amour” with the same command that earned her a reputation as a one-of-a-kind performer.        

She was accompanied by a pianist whose grand piano shimmered with light bouncing off the puddled rain.

As the song reached its crescendo, Dion was visibly emotional but she held her composure.

The performance was the grand finale of a four-hour show that saw about 6,800 athletes face the pouring rain as they travelled down the Seine River on dozens of boats.

The Eiffel Tower and the Olympics rings are lit up during the opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Lionel Bonaventure/Pool Photo via AP)

The opening ceremony also featured musical appearances by Lady Gaga and Aya Nakamura, as well as countless dancers who paraded across a soaked runway to upbeat pop songs.

But it was the image of Dion perched on the first platform of the Eiffel Tower that might've best captured the spirit of the Games — a symbol of overcoming the odds.  

• Full coverage of the Paris Olympics on TSN.ca

But it was the image of Dion perched on the first platform of the Eiffel Tower that might've best captured the spirit of the Games — a symbol of overcoming the odds.

Stiff person syndrome is a progressive illness that can cause muscle rigidity and severe spasms as well as affect a person's vocal cords. It forced Dion to first postpone and then cancel all the remaining dates on her Courage World Tour for 2023 and 2024.A Canadian athlete reacts while participating in the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Paris, France. (Andy Wong / AP Photo)

When she appeared in an April cover story for Vogue France, Dion spoke of her hopes of one day seeing the Eiffel Tower again. At the time, she offered no assurances she would ever sing publicly but insisted she wasn't giving up.

She told the magazine her willpower was pushing her to work "very hard" at being able to perform live again one day, likening the experience to training like an athlete.

"I've chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team," she said at the time.

"I want to be the best I can be." 

It ended up being an Olympic comeback in other respects as well.

Earlier in her career, Dion performed "The Power of the Dream" at the 1996 Olympics opening ceremony in Atlanta with fellow Canadian David Foster and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

It was a pivotal moment in her rise to worldwide stardom, a year before "My Heart Will Go On" would become one of the top-selling songs of all time.

Whether Dion's latest Olympics performance means she's ready to return to the stage with greater aspirations is unclear.

In recent interviews to promote her Prime Video documentary "I Am: Celine Dion," she expressed confidence, determination and caution over what her career might look like going forward.

But Dion has always kept tight control of her narrative, which is why some believed her decision to re-emerge might be a sign that the 56-year-old is making further plans.

Speaking at a briefing the following morning, Thomas Jolly, artistic director of the Paris 2024 opening ceremonies, said Dion has a very strong link with France.

"She's a bridge between our two continents," he said in French.

That made her a clear choice to sing Piaf's song, he said: "Which singer sings about love the best? ... obviously, it wasn't very difficult to choose Celine Dion."

Despite her health challenges, Jolly said Dion was resolved to make their vision for her performance a reality.

"It's a huge honour," he said.

Her performance in Paris earned praise from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who called Dion a Canadian icon and an "incredible" talent.

"She overcame a lot to be there tonight," Trudeau wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"Céline, it’s great to see you singing again."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2024