Celine Dion surprises audiences during Olympics Opening Ceremony

WASHINGTON — Celine Dion marked her musical return in a big way during the Olympics Opening Ceremony.

The Grammy-award winning singer gave an emotional performance atop a sparkling Eiffel Tower after the cauldron was lit.

The Canadian singer had been rumored to be a performer at the Olympics Opening Ceremony. She is one of many artists, including fellow pop stars Lady Gaga and Aya Nakamura, that lent their talents to ring in the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Rumors of Dion’s performance circled as the Parade of Nations got underway on Friday.

Team Great Britain even dropped a reference to the “Titanic,” where Dion’s hit song “My Heart Will Go On” is featured.

Dion gave her first performance since she announced her Stiff-person syndrome diagnosis last year, a rare neurological disorder that led her to cancel her tour.

Since the health announcement, Dion has kept a low profile with very few public appearances.

In February, the singer received a standing ovation at this year’s Grammys when she made a surprise appearance to present Taylor Swift a Grammy for album of the year.

That was the beginning of a comeback. 

Celine Dion’s Olympics performance marks her return to performing years after was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome in late 2022, causing her to postpone a tour.

The rare neurological disorder causes rigid muscles and painful muscle spasms, which were affecting Dion’s ability to walk and sing. In June, at the premiere of the documentary “I Am: Celine Dion” she told The Associated Press that returning required therapy, “physically, mentally, emotionally, vocally.”

“So that’s why it takes a while. But absolutely why we’re doing this because I’m already a little bit back,” she said.

What is Stiff-person syndrome? 

Stiff-person syndrome is a condition characterized by muscles that tense uncontrollably, and a heightened sensitivity to stimuli such as noise, touch, and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

"Unfortunately these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life," Dion said at the time. "Sometimes causing difficulty when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal chords to sing the way I'm used to."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.