How Céline Dion reacted to her triumphant Eiffel Tower performance at the Paris Olympics

Céline Dion returned to the world stage at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday, and the gravity of the moment was not lost on her.

The powerful singer, who has not performed in public for years due to complications from a rare neurological disorder, closed the ceremony with an instantly iconic rendition of “L’Hymne à l’amour” on the Eiffel Tower beneath a massive Games logo Olympics.

“I’m honored to be performing tonight for the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony and so excited to be back in one of my favorite cities!” the French Canadian superstar wrote on Instagram on Friday.

The 56-year-old turned his admiration for the athletes competing at the summer games.

“Most of all, I’m so happy to celebrate these amazing athletes with all their stories of sacrifice and determination and pain and perseverance,” she wrote. “You’ve all been so focused on your dream and whether or not you take home a medal, I hope that being here means it came true for you!”

The “My Heart Will Go On” singer completed a nearly four-hour program spread across the Seine River that featured nearly every genre of French music and talent — in the rain. The ceremony also included musical performances by Lady Gaga, French Malian superstar Aya Nakamura, opera singer Axelle Saint-Cirel and “eco-metal” band Gojira, plus the lighting of a floating cauldron after athletes from more than 200 nations sent their delegations in a flotilla down the river.

“You should all be so proud, we know how hard you’ve worked to be the best of the best. Stay focused, keep going, my heart goes out to you!” Dion wrote.

Dion’s celebrated singing career came to a screeching halt mid-tour nearly two years ago when she revealed she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder. The disease, which she said affects “every aspect” of her daily life, causes excruciating muscle spasms and difficulty walking and breathing. In an interview ahead of the June release of her documentary, “I Am: Céline Dion,” the five-time Grammy winner said she had broken ribs because of the spasms, and her singing voice sometimes becomes more nasal. The documentary also included a scene in which Dion appears to be in an intense meltdown, further raising the stakes for – and concerns about – her live performance at the Olympics, watched globally.

In the days following her acclaimed performance, Dion continued to post about the star-studded night, including retweeting memes and reactions to her appearance on her Instagram Stories.

“Wow, what a night. Thanks to everyone at @paris2024, @olympics and @dior who helped make this dream come true. And now, it’s already time to go! I will miss you Paris! – Celine xx,” she wrote on Sunday, sharing a picture of herself casually dressed as she looked out the window.

French fashion house Dior, which designed several of the looks worn by the ceremony’s headliners, took fans behind the scenes of creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri’s creation of Dion’s haute couture dress.

The embroidered white silk dress — paired with Dior shoes — was “created in a vision of #DiorSavoirFaire dreams” and “adorned with sequins as bright as the stars and fringes that danced with every gesture,” Dior said on Instagram.

“The dress enveloped her in an aura that accentuated her voice, irrevocably touching hearts around the world,” added the design house.