Celine Dion has made her first public appearance in two years as the 58-year-old singer prepares to return to the stage following a lengthy battle with stiff-person syndrome.

Dion appeared emotional as she greeted excited fans outside her hotel, waving and blowing kisses as she marked a significant step toward her long-awaited comeback.

The Canadian music icon is preparing for a 20-show residency in Paris, an extension from the initially announced 10 performances following overwhelming demand.

Dion was forced to cancel her world tour after being diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes severe muscle stiffness and painful spasms. She revealed that the condition, which she was formally diagnosed with in 2022 after years of symptoms, has affected her ability to walk and her vocal cords.

In the years since her diagnosis, Dion has made only a handful of public performances. She appeared at a fashion event in Saudi Arabia in 2024 and later delivered her emotional return to the stage at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, where she performed despite her health challenges.

As she prepares for her Paris residency, Dion has revealed that she has been working extensively to rebuild her strength. Her routine includes 90-minute Pilates sessions three times a week and ballet classes twice a week, alongside daily work with her therapist.

She has described stiff-person syndrome as a progressive condition that requires constant management, but has remained determined not to allow the disorder to control her life.

Dion spent much of the COVID-19 pandemic in isolation, a period that she said was particularly difficult as she worried that fans might misunderstand her absence and assume she was simply choosing not to perform.

During that period, she developed a deeper appreciation for nature and used trees as a metaphor for her own struggles. She recalled imagining herself apologising to the trees for no longer having anything to give, only to hear an inner voice reminding her that the trees were valued for what they were, rather than what they could produce.

Despite the physical challenges, Dion said she has worked every day to regain her strength and return to the activity she has loved throughout her life.

“Last year, my happiness came back,” she said, describing the experience as a major weight being lifted from her shoulders.

The singer has repeatedly expressed confidence in her ability to overcome the challenges posed by her condition, saying she believes in herself and her courage and refuses to let the disorder define her future.

Now, as she prepares to return to the stage, Dion says she is especially grateful to the fans who supported her throughout her career by buying her records and standing by her during her health struggles.

Her message to them is simple: she wants them to know that she is still here and that she has missed them.

And after years away from the spotlight, Dion says she is ready to embrace every part of life as a pop star again—even the less glamorous duties, such as signing autographs.