Celine Dion made a grand comeback on Friday, performing at the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony and concluding the event from the Eiffel Tower. Almost two years after disclosing her diagnosis of stiff person syndrome, Dion delivered a powerful rendition of Edith Piaf’s “Hymne à l’amour” (“Hymn to Love”) as the finale of the approximately four-hour event. Her participation had been speculated about for weeks, but both organizers and Dion’s team had kept her performance a secret. The media guide, highlighting Dior’s role in the opening ceremony, described the finale as a “grandiose and superbly scintillating” moment featuring “a world star.”
Although Celine Dion is not French—she hails from Quebec, Canada—she has a deep connection to France and the Olympics. Dion’s first language is French, and she has enjoyed immense success in France and other French-speaking countries. She also won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1988 with a French-language song, representing Switzerland. Early in her English-language career, before her iconic hit “My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic, Dion was selected to perform “The Power of The Dream,” the theme song for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Dion’s choice of song also had a notable sports connection: Edith Piaf wrote “Hymne à l’amour” about her lover, boxer Marcel Cerdan, who tragically died in a plane crash shortly after the song was written.
Moreover, singer-songwriter and actor Lady Gaga stunned everyone with her performance at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. She performed alongside the Seine River in the French capital. Gaga is seen wearing a stylish black corset with feathers. Gaga performed Zizi Jeanmaire’s ‘Mon Truc en Plumes’. Taking to her official handle, X, she shared pictures from the ceremony and wrote a long post. In the post, she shared details about her performance and the song she sang during the opening ceremony.
“I feel so completely grateful to have been asked to open the Paris @Olympics2024 this year. I am also humbled to be asked by the Olympics organizing committee to sing such a special French song–a song to honor the French people and their tremendous history of art, music, and theatre. This song was sung by Zizi Jeanmaire, born in Paris a French ballerina, she famously sang “Mon Truc en Plumes” in 1961. The title means “My Thing with Feathers.” And this is not the first time we’ve crossed paths. Zizi starred in Cole Porter’s musical “Anything Goes” which was my first jazz release. Although I am not a French artist, I have always felt a very special connection with French people and singing French music–I wanted nothing more than to create a performance that would warm the heart of France, celebrate French art and music, and on such a momentous occasion remind everyone of one of the most magical cities on earth–Paris.”
“We rented pom poms from Le Lido archive–a real French cabaret theater. We collaborated with Dior to create custom costumes, using naturally molted feathers. I studied French choreography that put a modern twist on a French classic. I rehearsed tirelessly to study a joyful French dance, brushing up on some old skills–I bet you didn’t know I used to dance at a 60’s French party on the lower east side when I was first starting out! I hope you love this performance as much as I do. And to everyone in France, thank you so much for welcoming me to your country to sing in honor of you–it’s a gift I’ll never forget! Congratulations to all the athletes who are competing in this year’s Olympic Games! It is my supreme honor to sing for you and cheer you on!! Watching the Olympic Games always makes me cry! Your talent is unimaginable. Let the games begin!,” she added.
Before the Parade of Nations, President Emmanuel Macron of France and Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, were introduced at the Trocadero. The National Olympic Committees marched in French alphabetical order, with a few exceptions. Australia and the United States were positioned towards the end, just before the host nation, France. The first 18 delegations entered the Parade of Nations from the Pont d’Austerlitz. Greece, the founding nation of the modern Olympic Games, led the parade in traditional attire. (With inputs from agencies)
