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Celine Dion retools tour due to Stiff Person Syndrome

The Canadian star has postponed her European tour to 2024 and cancelled eight 2023 summer shows due to an incurable neurological condition

By IQ on 08 Dec 2022


image © Flickr/Anirudh Koul

Celine Dion has rescheduled and cancelled a number of concerts after being diagnosed with an incurable neurological condition called Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS).

The star’s 23-date European tour, which was due to kick off in Prague on 24 February 2023 and culminate at London’s O2 on 11 April, has now been postponed until 2024.

While eight of her summer shows scheduled for 2023, including dates in Europe and the Middle East, have been cancelled.

The 54-year-old singer revealed her diagnosis an emotional video posted to her Instagram account on 8 December.

“I’ve always been an open book and I wasn’t ready to say anything before, but I’m ready now,” she said. “I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges … We now know [SPS] is what’s been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having.

“Unfortunately the spasms affect every aspect of my daily life”

“Unfortunately the spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to,” she continued. “I have a great team of doctors working alongside me to help me get better and my precious children who are supporting me and giving me hope. I’m working hard with my support medicine therapist every day to build back my strength and my ability to perform again, but I have to admit it’s been a struggle.”

SPS affects approximately one in 200,000 individuals in the UK, and is caused by the body’s immune system attacking itself. There is no cure for the disease, but it is treatable in most cases through chemical intervention and immune therapies.

Dion first spoke about her SPS symptoms in October 2021, when she postponed the beginning of her Las Vegas residency due to what she described as “severe and persistent” muscle spasms.

 


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