Celine Dion returned to the stage in Paris on Saturday for her first full concert in more than six years, opening her 2026 residency at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre.

The 58-year-old Canadian singer began with her 1998 French-language song “On ne change pas”, but paused moments into the performance as she became tearful. She wiped her eyes, took a breath and continued after the audience applauded.

“I had promised myself not to cry. I don’t keep my promises. But I’m so happy to see you all. I missed you. I’m going to sing like you without crying,” Dion told the audience.

The concert was Dion’s first full show since March 2020. She stopped performing after being diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, in 2022.

The Paris residency consists of 16 performances between September 12 and October 17. Dion’s official website announced the engagement in March, describing the September shows as her return to live performance.

Saturday’s set included some of Dion’s best-known songs, including “My Heart Will Go On” and “All By Myself”. She performed 25 songs over a little more than two hours.

Dion had returned to the public stage before Saturday’s concert, performing “Hymne à l’amour” at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics in 2024. The Paris residency, however, marks her return to a full concert programme.

Speaking to the audience during the show, Dion said: “I want to sing for you, to sing about life.”