PARIS, France — Fans from Quebec mingled with Parisians and visitors from around the globe outside Celine Dion’s hotel in the City of Lights on the eve of the opening night of the superstar’s comeback concert series. Dominique D’Entremont is from Quebec City but now lives in Australia. She was standing near a metal fence set up outside the Royal Monceau’s front door, hoping to get a glimpse of the singer from back home. “I remember when she was singing for the Pope on his visit to Canada when she was just a young girl,” says D’Entremont. “We grew up with her; she is a little girl from Quebec and now she is a big star. That’s crazy.” Several Parisians were thrilled to hear fans with Quebecois accents, just like their idol, they said, and chatted about Dion’s early life as they stood waiting for one of her impromptu appearances. Since she landed in Paris on Aug. 28, she has belted out some of her hits and joked with fans just outside the hotel door. A flurry of excitement rippled through the crowd on Friday as security guards closed off part of the street. Some of the tenants of apartments near the hotel opened their windows and played Dion’s hit, “I’m Alive,” through speakers. But on this occasion, it was not Dion, but her eldest son René-Charles Angelil, arriving at the hotel. Onlookers say they have seen several members of the Dion family come and go, here to witness this comeback concert along with fans from around the world who have spent thousands of dollars on tickets and travel. Among them are many of the Red Heads, Dion’s official international fan club. “The first song will be a big moment,” says fan club member Luciano Constantino. “When she breads the silence with song, in her own voice, it will be magical.” Dion stepped off the concert stage six years ago in the wake of a diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome, a rare, progressive autoimmune neurological disorder that can induce painful spasms. She appeared at the Paris 2024 Olympics closing ceremony, delivering a lauded performance of Edith Piaf’s “Hymne à l’amour” from the Eiffel Tower, but had otherwise been sidelined. Until now. Starting Sept. 12, she will perform in front of 30,000 fans for 16 sold-out concerts at the Plenitude arena, in the La Defense area of Paris, which was also a centre of excitement as the souvenir boutique opened its doors. A series of other events have also been planned to coincide with the concert series, including large outdoor karaoke parties where fans gathered to sing some of Dion’s English and French songs they hope will be part of the set she delivers Saturday. Fans speaking a dozen languages lingered late into the night in front of the hotel. Among them, Kasia Pietrzfyk from Poland. She couldn’t get a ticket for a spot at any of the concerts but travelled to Paris in hopes of just a glimpse of her idol. “Her songs, her personality, the way she treats her fans is just amazing,” says Pietrzfyk. “I have been following her since 1994, since her first big album in French.” Sixteen years ago, Piertzfyk had a daughter. “Guess what I called my daughter,” she says. “Celine.” She plans to stand at the hotel for hours, convinced Dion will eventually have to walk out and at least wave to fans as she heads to her concerts. Several other events have been planned in coming days around the concert dates, including a Celine-themed cruise on the River Seine.
