Singer Celine Dion, outside her hotel ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics. Photo: Reuters
Celine Dion is reportedly set to take the stage at the Olympics Opening Ceremony on Friday (July 26), marking her first performance since she was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome in 2022.
The French-Canadian diva paused touring due to the rare condition, a “progressive neurological disorder” which often results in stiffness and muscle spasms that can be set off by loud noises or emotional distress, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Dion recently arrived in Paris ahead of Friday’s start of the Summer Games and plans to perform during an 85-boat parade along the Seine that will end near the Trocadero, facing the Eiffel Tower, according to Variety.
TMZ reports she’ll perform one song and be paid US$2mil (RM9.3mil) for the appearance. The Games are also footing the bill for her travel and stay at the luxury Le Royal Monceau hotel near the Champs-Elysees.
Lady Gaga and Dua Lipa are also among the rumoured performers.
The 56-year-old singer said earlier this year she vowed to return to the stage and her Las Vegas residency, though her sister said her symptoms can be “impossible to control.”
“Trying to overcome this autoimmune disorder has been one of the hardest experiences of my life, but I remain determined to one day get back onto the stage and to live as normal of a life as possible,” Dion wrote on social media in March. “I am deeply grateful for the love and support from my kids, family, team and all of you!”
The six-time Grammy-winner’s battle with the illness was also the subject of the recent documentary I Am: Celine Dion.
Dion previously performed The Power Of The Dream at the Opening Ceremony for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
