Céline Dion makes emotional return to the stage

Céline Dion kicked off her Paris residency on Saturday, marking a long-awaited return to the stage.

The My Heart Will Go On singer, who has endured an ongoing battle with stiff person syndrome, fought back tears as she belted out her hits.

In a video shared to Instagram by a concertgoer, Dion was visibly emotional, singing through tears as the crowd applauded on the first night of a 26-date run at the Paris La Défense Arena.

The Grammy winner took a moment to address her tears, telling the audience, "I promised not to cry. Tonight I want to sing for you, for me, for life," Canada's CBC News reported.

"Finally," she continued. "It's amazing we're all together. I made a promise. I made a promise to come back and be back on stage."

Dion then thanked her fans for their support and patience before delivering a heartfelt rendition of her 1996 hit Because You Loved Me.

The singer first announced the residency in March via YouTube.

Dion was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome in December 2022. The Power of Love singer's medical issues forced her to cancel her Courage world tour in May 2023, after which she put her career on hold as she focused on her health.

She recently made a rare appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.