It all started with mysterious billboards which popped up around the French capital back in March. "My heart will go on", "Pour que tu m'aimes encore", "J'irai où tu iras" - the famous music lyrics had been teasing her return.
The "teasers" preceded the announcement of a series of comeback concerts in Paris for the singer, who has been forced to take a lengthy break from performing due to health issues.
The singer will perform 26 times in total at the Plenitude Arena (formerly La Défense Arena) in Paris every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, starting September 12th to October 17th, and will then return in the spring, from May 8th to the 29th.
A real fandom
Since her arrival on August 28th, fans have been camping out in front of her hotel, the Royal Monceau in the 8th arrondissement, hoping to catch a glimpse of the star. She has made a few appearances, greeting her fans, singing some lyrics of her most famous songs, and even performing some dance steps.
France 24 went to talk to some fans who have been waiting in front of her hotel. Tanguy, who has come from the southeastern city of Avignon to see his favourite singer, said, "I'm not in a rush. I've been waiting for four hours. We'll see if she turns up in the end. It's not about talking to her, but about just being here, amongst all her fans who've become friends. It's a human adventure."
Marina, 31, who has tickets for one of Dion’s Paris shows, told The Guardian: “I thought I just have to get down here to her hotel as the mood seemed so good outside. My mother had all her CDs when I was a child and I also watched Titanic when I was small.
"Even if you don’t specifically listen to Céline Dion, you’re constantly surrounded by her music in France."
And for those who weren't so lucky to get a ticket, the city of Paris has organised a free outdoor karaoke for 10,000 people on Friday night, a day before her opening night, where fans will be able to belt out her major hits.
Emmanuel Grégoire, the mayor of Paris, said the capital’s giant street karaoke would honour Dion as “an artist of the people” and a great “unifier” in France. “Music has that singular power to bring together and build a society,” he said.
So why do the French love her so much?
The love affair between the French and Céline Dion is not a new thing, she has consistently been beloved here.
As a Québécoise, Dion's first language is French (albeit with a few differences from the French spoken in France), and her first eight albums were sung in French, before she also started releasing albums in English in the 1990s.
Paris was the first city where the singer took her first steps outside her native Quebec. It was first in 1982 when she appeared on French journalist Michel Drucker’s show, then at the Olympia concert venue (9ème arrondissement) in 1984.
In 1988, she appeared at the Eurovision Song Contest, representing neighbouring Switzerland with Ne partez pas sans moi (don't leave without me).
A big moment of her career in relation to France was her collaboration with French singer Jean-Jacques Goldman in 1994. He’s one of the most respected figures in French music, and his songwriting gave her credibility in the country.
The album they did together, "D'eux", is one of the best-selling French-language albums of all time, with worldwide sales nearing 10 million copies.
Her comeback concerts will be accompanied by a new single in 2026, also in collaboration with Goldman.
Back in 1994, Dion said: “I’ve always wanted to be loved in France, and it’s always been a bit difficult. He (Goldman) gave me the chance to feel welcome here, and that, to me, was worth a lot".
In 1999, she became the first female artist to fill the arena of the Stade de France.
Most recently, in July 2024, she made a grand return to performing - on the top floor of the Eiffel Tower during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, where she sang French icon Edith Piaf's "Hymne à l'amour".
Many of Dion's hit songs have become ingrained in French culture, featured in movies, and sung at karaoke - providing an emotional soundtrack to life.
And now, after years of absence and health struggles, her potential return is exciting for fans.
Inspired biopic
In 2021, French actress Valérie Lemercier directed and starred in the comedy-drama "Aline", loosely based on the life of Dion. It features a fictional singer whose story mirrors that of the French-Canadian star.
Despite changing names and certain details, the parallels are unmistakable - from her rise as a young Quebec singer to her global success.
The movie shows the ways in which Dion is defined in the French imagination: her powerful voice, her emotional sincerity, and her unlikely journey.
Comments