Despite Illness, Celine Dion Still Keen to Get Back Onstage

Celine Dion presents Album Of The Year award during the Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024. Valerie Macon / AFP/File
Celine Dion presents Album Of The Year award during the Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024. Valerie Macon / AFP/File
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Despite Illness, Celine Dion Still Keen to Get Back Onstage

Celine Dion presents Album Of The Year award during the Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024. Valerie Macon / AFP/File
Celine Dion presents Album Of The Year award during the Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024. Valerie Macon / AFP/File

Pop megastar Celine Dion, who is suffering from a rare neurological disorder, said in an Instagram post she looks forward to her return to the stage.
Dion, 55, first disclosed in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, which causes stiff muscles in the torso, arms and legs, with noise or emotional distress known to trigger spasms, AFP said.
"Trying to overcome this autoimmune disorder has been one of the hardest experiences of my life, but I remain determined to one day get back onto the stage and to live as normal of a life as possible," Dion said in a post late Friday to mark International SPS Awareness Day.
"I want to send my encouragement and support to all those around the world that have been affected by SPS. I want you to know you can do it! We can do it!" added the Grammy-winning singer of such hits as "My Heart Will Go On" and "Because You Loved Me."
"I am deeply grateful for the love and support from my kids, family, team and all of you!" she added in the post, accompanied by a photo of her smiling broadly and posing with her three sons.
Dion, 55, first disclosed in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, which causes stiff muscles in the torso, arms and legs, with noise or emotional distress known to trigger spasms.
"Trying to overcome this autoimmune disorder has been one of the hardest experiences of my life, but I remain determined to one day get back onto the stage and to live as normal of a life as possible," Dion said in a post late Friday to mark International SPS Awareness Day.
"I want to send my encouragement and support to all those around the world that have been affected by SPS. I want you to know you can do it! We can do it!" added the Grammy-winning singer of such hits as "My Heart Will Go On" and "Because You Loved Me."
"I am deeply grateful for the love and support from my kids, family, team and all of you!" she added in the post, accompanied by a photo of her smiling broadly and posing with her three sons.



Tomorrowland Music Festival Opens after its Main Stage was Destroyed by Huge Fire

The burned main stage is seen at the Tomorrowland music festival in Boom, Belgium, Friday, July 18, 2025, two days after a huge fire destroyed the stage on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
The burned main stage is seen at the Tomorrowland music festival in Boom, Belgium, Friday, July 18, 2025, two days after a huge fire destroyed the stage on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
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Tomorrowland Music Festival Opens after its Main Stage was Destroyed by Huge Fire

The burned main stage is seen at the Tomorrowland music festival in Boom, Belgium, Friday, July 18, 2025, two days after a huge fire destroyed the stage on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
The burned main stage is seen at the Tomorrowland music festival in Boom, Belgium, Friday, July 18, 2025, two days after a huge fire destroyed the stage on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)

Fans roared in excitement and organizers sighed with relief as the Tomorrowland music festival kicked off Friday — just two days after a massive fire engulfed the main stage and threw one of Europe's biggest summer concert events into doubt.

Workers labored around the clock to clear out the debris from the elaborate backdrop that was consumed in Wednesday's fire.

Shouting ‘’We made it!'', the festival's opening performers, Australian electronic music group Nervo, were able to take to the main stage Friday after a last-minute scramble and slight delay. Some charred frames were still visible behind them.

No one was hurt in the fire, organizers said. The causes are being investigated.
Hundreds of thousands of people from around the world attend Tomorrowland's annual multi-day festival outside the Belgian town of Boom.

Some 38,000 people were camping at the festival site Friday, Tomorrowland spokesperson Debby Wilmsen said.

’’Maybe there are some few people that say, OK, we would like to have a refund, but it’s only like a very small percentage because most of them are still coming to the festival,” she told AP.

“It is all about unity, and I think with a good vibe and a positive energy that our festival-goers give to each other and the music we offer, I think they will still have a good time,″ she said. ’’We really tried our best.″

Australian fans Zak Hiscock and Brooke Antoniou — who traveled half the world to see the famed festival as part of a summer holiday in Europe — described hearing about the fire.

“We were sitting having dinner when we actually heard the news of the stage burning down. We were very devastated and shattered, quite upset because we travelled a long way,'' Hiscock said.

Ukrainian visitor Oleksandr Beshkynskyi shared their joy that the festival went ahead as planned.

‘’It’s not just about the one DJ or two DJs you’re looking to see, but about all the mood and about the dream being alive," Beshkynskyi said.