Celine Dion’s opening ceremony performance in Paris for the Olympic Games has caused some confusion among onlookers who believed that the singer was performing for a large fee. Despite earlier media reports that Dion would earn $2 million to sing just one song at the Parisian event, representatives from the Olympic Committee have confirmed that the artist performed for free. The second artist to perform at the opening ceremony after Lady Gaga, Dion sang Edith Piaf’s ‘L’Hymne A L’Amour’ from the top of the Eiffel Tower in her first public appearance since she revealed her stiff person syndrome (SPS) diagnosis in 2022.
In a statement on the issue, the Olympic Committee has emphasized that all performers participating in the Paris Olympic Games ceremonies will not receive a payment, but will participate out of a commitment to being part of a historic event for France and the world of sport. Additionally, the Committee clarified that Paris 2024 would cover all technical production and performance organization costs. Further, they reiterated that the budget for the organizing committee is 96% financed by private funding, and no public contributions pay the artistic teams.
In her social media posts reflecting on her performance, Celine Dion expressed her gratitude at having performed for the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony and rejoiced at being back in one of her favorite cities. She expressed her happiness at celebrating these remarkable athletes who had made sacrifices to compete in the games. During the event, rumors had started that she was going to perform ‘La Vie En Rose’ with Lady Gaga; however, this did not happen, and they each performed separately.
Dion, who had last performed in 2020, was supposed to undertake a world tour in 2021. However, she had to cancel it after she revealed her diagnosis with SPS, leading to muscle stiffness, sensory issues, painful spasms, and posture problems, among others. Dion candidly talked about how it had affected her voice in her documentary, “I Am: Celine Dion.
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