The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics is set to be controversial, to say the least. Instead of confining the ceremony to the stadium, organizers have opted to present a vast, mixed-media spectacle across the city, combining pre-recorded, high-concept short films with live musical performances.
The entire ceremony grew increasingly stale until it climaxed with Celine Dion performing one of the most moving performances in Olympic opening ceremony history from the middle of the Eiffel Tower at the end.
But here’s a lot more you might not know about why this is so important. The opening ceremony marked Dion’s first time performing in front of an audience in nearly two years. In December 2022, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS).
This rare neurological disorder affects approximately one in a million people and can cause muscle tension, debilitating pain and, in extreme cases, severe spasms that can permanently alter motor function and posture.
Dion has worked to raise awareness and funds for research into autoimmune neurological diseases like SPS, but she acknowledged that upon her diagnosis, SPS began to affect her vocal cords, making it difficult for her to sing.
These matches meant Dion would make a triumphant return, singing bravely in front of a global audience of hundreds of millions, with no clear idea of whether her disease would return or whether her voice would hold up.
It really gave me goosebumps. It’s a moment I’ll never forget.
