From diagnosis to comeback: Celine Dion's health condition timeline
ETimes June 02, 2026 08:39 PM
The My Heart Will Go On singer, Celine Dion, is returning to the stage with her 10-show series in Paris in September 2026. In 2022, Dion revealed that she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS). In March 2026, the Canadian singer announced that she was coming back to perform, as she mentioned in one of her March Instagram posts.
Dion first talked about her illness in December 2022. SPS is a very rare autoimmune neurological disorder. The condition affects one's muscles for walking, speaking, and singing.
Health concerns force show cancellations (2021)
The first time Dion understood that something was wrong was in late 2021, when she postponed the opening of her Las Vegas show.
According to People, Dion said in a statement, "I'm heartbroken by this," as she cancelled all her performances as early as October 2021, and it led to the cancellation of 21 headlining performances in November and between January and February 2022.
"My team and I have been working on our new show for the past eight months, and to not be able to open this November saddens me beyond words," Dion said, as quoted by People.
Cancelling her North American tour (2022)
After cancelling her Las Vegas show, Dion also cancelled all the scheduled tour dates across North America that were part of her Courage World Tour. At that time, she was reportedly going through "severe and persistent muscle spasms".
Although she wished to resume her European tour in May, she later announced in April that she would be postponing the tour as she underwent medical treatment.
Dion said, "The good news is that I'm doing a little bit better, but it's very slow, and it's very frustrating for me," according to People.
Celine diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (2022)In a 2024 interview with People, Dion revealed that she was officially diagnosed with SPS in 2022. She went through treatments that included medication, immune therapy, vocal therapy, and intense physical rehabilitation five days a week.
"The good thing that's on my side is that I love doing all these things," she said.
Around December, Dion became more vocal about her issues. She explained how she was battling the rare disease, which was causing difficulties in her day-to-day life.
"While we're still learning about this rare condition, we now know that this is what has been causing all of the spasms that I've been having," Celine said.
Cancelling all April concerts (2024)On X, she shared a statement saying she was "unable to successfully prepare for and perform the remainder of the tour". It came after her Stiff Person Syndrome diagnosis. Dion initially postponed several shows to 2024 and cancelled some concerts scheduled for the summer of 2023. A few months later, she announced that all of her remaining tour dates through April 2024 had been cancelled.
But on June 25, 2024, Celine released the documentary, I Am: Celine Dion, directed by Irene Taylor. The documentary offered an intimate look at her struggle with SPS and the impact it had on her career.
Celine performs for the first time after diagnosis (2024)In 2024, Celine performed for the first time since she was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
She performed "Hymne à l'Amour" from the base of the Eiffel Tower.
Celine returns (2026)
In March 2026, Celine Dion officially announced her return to the stage. After going through rigorous treatment, which put her career at stake, she is finally returning to performing live again.
She shared a video on Instagram, where she referred to her comeback as "the best gift of her life".
"This year, I'm getting the best birthday gift of my life. I'm getting the chance to see you, to perform for you once again," Dion said.
