Celine Dion made a surprise appearance at the L’Oréal Paris runway show in front of the Eiffel Tower, closing the Paris Fashion Week event with a performance of I’m Alive.
The singer emerged after the catwalk appeared to have finished, receiving huge applause from the audience before being joined on stage by the evening’s models and ambassadors.
Dion, 58, performed in a strapless velour gown and danced alongside Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne, Heidi Klum, Eva Longoria and the other stars who had taken part in the show.
Le Défilé 2026, titled Express Your Worth, was staged at Place Joffre. Its line-up included actresses Jane Fonda, Viola Davis, Simone Ashley, Andie MacDowell and Kristen Bell, who joined the catwalk for the first time as a newly appointed L’Oréal Paris ambassador.
Jenner, 30, opened the show in a semi-sheer black dress, appearing alongside Longoria, Fonda and Davis. She later joined the other women for the finale and has now opened the L’Oréal show for two consecutive years.
Delevingne wore a glittering red cape gown, while Klum appeared in a plunging embellished dress with a thigh-high split. Ashley walked in a slinky champagne-coloured midi dress, and MacDowell wore an off-white silk gown.
Fonda, 88, commanded attention in a glittering red dress, while Bell made her debut as part of the brand’s group of ambassadors. Other performers and ambassadors from different countries also took part in the presentation.
The finale centred on a message of empowered beauty and sisterhood, with the women linking arms on stage as Dion took centre stage and was applauded by the ensemble.
Celine Dion returns to the stage in Paris
Dion is in the French capital for a five-week residency after her career was disrupted by stiff-person syndrome, a condition she revealed she had been diagnosed with in December 2022.
The disorder causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms. At its worst, Dion said it left her unable to walk properly or use her singing voice as she once had, and she was forced to cancel her last tour in 2023.
In 2024, she promised: “I’ll sing again.” She later said: “I made a promise to be back on stage. So here I am, singing for you and singing for me, singing live!”
Reflecting on her health battle, Dion said she had decided to make it “my reason for living”. She added that people may be facing hardships, grief or sorrow without those around them knowing, before urging the audience to share their energy through music.
Paris Fashion Week began on Monday, with designers including Victoria Beckham and Saint Laurent due to present their Spring/Summer 2027 collections. Louis Vuitton is scheduled to close the event on October 6.
