Celine Dion to perform with huge popstar at ‘$4,000,000’ comeback show

26.07.2024 00:25:03 Yorum Yok Görüntülenme
Celine Dion has touched down in Paris ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony (Picture: Getty)

Legendary singer Celine Dion’s grand (and well-paid) return to the stage at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony has been confirmed, according to reports.

The chart-topping artist, 56, announced she had been diagnosed with the rare autoimmune movement disorder Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) in December 2022 after cancelling all her tour dates for 2023 and 2024.

Since then Celine has been candid about her difficult health journey, with symptoms including debilitating spasms and stiffness which have prevented her from performing.

She opened up further in her powerful Prime Video documentary I Am: Celine Dion. But a common thread throughout her health battle has been her determination to sing live once again.

And now that dream may be coming true and with a handsome paycheck to boot as the Daily Mail claimed her performance had been confirmed and that she would be singing in French to honour the hosts and her own French-Canadian background.

Other reports suggested Celine would duet with Lady Gaga on a version of Edith Piaf’s La Vie en Rose as part of a glittering conclusion to the first ever opening ceremony to be staged outside a stadium.

Celine Dion wearing a white shirt, black jacket, and black sunglasses while smiling
Celine Dion has touched down in Paris ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony (Picture: BEST IMAGE / BACKGRID)

The rumours were bolstered when Celine was spotted arriving in Paris on Monday at the Royal Monceau hotel, the same location the Poker Face singer is staying at, according to Variety.

The timing perfectly aligns with the lead-up to this year’s Olympics as the opening ceremony takes place on Friday, July 26.

Celine even teased her appearance in a post on X, writing: ‘Every time I return to Paris, I remember there’s so much beauty and joy still to experience in the world. I love Paris, and I’m so happy to be back!’

According to TMZ’s direct source, the singer has been offered $2million (£1.5million) for just one song. And that’s not to mention the added expenses of travel, accommodation and added comfort.

‘They’re paying a ton of money. Ridiculous amount,’ the insider said.

Celine Dion wearing a white shirt, black jacket, trousers, and sunglasses while smiling
She was all smiles as she touched down in the capital (Picture: BEST IMAGE / BACKGRID)

The Daily Mail claimed that her total bill amounts to over $4m (£3m) as the Olympics will be paying for her transport, hotel suites, security and healthcare professionals.

The publication reported the cost includes a $500,000 (£389,000) private jet round-trip from Las Vegas to Paris, and $6750,000 (£525,000) in luxury hotel fees for Celine, her family and entourage.

‘Celine has made no secret of her desire to make it back to the stage, and Paris would be the perfect opportunity for her to do that,’ another source recently told the Sun.

They added that she was ‘working around the clock’ to make the performance happen but that she is ‘not out of the woods yet’.

Celine Dion wearing a blue dress and singing into a microphone on stage
The singer has expressed her desire to get back onto stage as soon as possible (Picture: Ian West/PA Archive/PA)

The opening ceremony is set to be one to remember with plans for it to happen outside the stadium, as the parade travels down the river Seine, arriving at the Trocadero which is home to Paris’ most iconic landmark, the Eiffel Tower.

Alongside potential appearances from Celine and Gaga, there will be a further 3,000 performers.

In a recent interview with Vogue France, the Grammy winner opened up about her motivation to recover.

‘The way I see it, I have two choices. Either I train like an athlete and work super hard, or I switch off and it’s over, I stay at home, listen to my songs, stand in front of my mirror and sing to myself.

Lady Gaga
Celine will reportedly duet with Lady Gaga (Picture: Andrew Toth/FilmMagic)

What is stiff-person syndrome?

Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare autoimmune movement disorder that affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord).

SPS is characterised by fluctuating muscle rigidity in the trunk and limbs and a heightened sensitivity to stimuli such as noise, touch, and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms. Stiff-person syndrome is extremely rare.

Only about one out of every one million people have been diagnosed with this syndrome. Twice as many women have stiff person syndrome as men. Symptoms can occur at any age but usually develop between ages 30 and 60.

‘I’ve chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team. I want to be the best I can be. My goal is to see the Eiffel Tower again!

When pushed about whether she would ever tour again, she added: ‘For four years I’ve been saying to myself that I’m not going back, that I’m ready, that I’m not ready…

‘As things stand, I can’t stand here and say to you: “Yes, in four months,”. I don’t know… My body will tell me.’

Detailing what it was like to sing with the condition, she has previously said: ‘It’s like somebody is strangling you. It’s like someone is pushing your larynx pharynx backwards. It gets into a spasm

‘It can also be in the abdominal, in the spine, in the ribs. If I point my feet, they will stay in it [a stuck position],’ she continued.

(FILES) Canadian singer Celine Dion performs on the opening night of her new world tour
Celine teased that she would be performing at the Paris Olympics (Picture: Alice Chiche / AFP)

Paris has been preparing for the unique ceremony for months, and over recent days the famous river has been increasingly hidden behind miles of chain-link fencing as part of a giant security operation.

Ticketed fans will have access to specially constructed stands on both sides of the river, while the ceremony’s conclusion will be beamed around the city via 80 giant screens.

The concluding stages of the torch relay, which travelled through each of France’s 64 territories before touching down in Paris in early July, is set to see rapper Snoop Dogg carry the flame through the suburb of Saint-Denis, home of the official Games stadium, the Stade de France.

Olympic champions Tom Daley and Helen Glover will share flag bearing duties at the head of the Team GB contingent, marking the start of a Games at which they hope to set a new post-War record of 70 medals from a single Games.

Up Next

The ceremony for the Olympics staged in Paris in 1924 took place at the Olympic Stadium in Colombes, and welcomed 3,089 athletes, of which only 135 were women. Dignitaries gave speeches and carrier pigeons were released into the air.

French president Emmanuel Macron has made the ambitious equivalent his personal project, telling reporters this week: ‘At the beginning, it seemed to be a crazy and not very serious idea.

‘But we decided it was the right moment to deliver this crazy idea and make it real.’

Metro.co.uk has reached out to Celine Dion’s representatives for comment.

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