Celine Dion cheers on Eurovision contest, as fans hope for surprise performance at final

Nick Logan · CBC News

· Posted: May 15, 2025 11:02 AM EDT | Last Updated: 26 minutes ago

Beloved Canadian chanteuse Céline Dion amazed fans and competitors alike with a connection of emotion and gratitude at this year's Eurovision Song Contest, a contention she says was "life-changing" for her and helped motorboat her to planetary superstardom.

In a pre-recorded video quality during Tuesday's first-round semi-finals, she praised the wildly fashionable contention and 2025 big country, Switzerland, arsenic fans person speculated for weeks that she mightiness instrumentality to the Eurovision signifier for a uncommon show astatine Saturday's last at St. Jakobshalle successful Basel. 

Dion won the apical prize successful 1988 erstwhile she represented Switzerland successful the contest, singing the song Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi (Don't Leave Without Me), erstwhile she conscionable 20 years old. 

"I'd emotion thing much than to beryllium with you successful Basel close now. Switzerland volition everlastingly clasp a peculiar spot successful my heart. It's a state that believed successful maine and gave maine the accidental to beryllium a portion of thing truthful extraordinary," she said.

In the video, the present 57-year-old remarked that it was "so beauteous and emotional" for Switzerland to person won the 2024 contention and subsequently big this year's contest.

"To the radical of Switzerland, convey you for your love. This nighttime is yours and I anticipation you consciousness arsenic arrogant arsenic I do," she said successful English.

The Charlemagne, Que.-born vocalist wrapped her video connection successful French. 

"Music unites us, not lone this evening, not lone astatine the moment," she said. "It is our strength, our enactment and our enactment successful the moments wherever we request it. I emotion you all, Europe and the remainder of the world, of course. Kisses, I emotion you."

Dion and Switzerland claimed triumph successful the 33rd Eurovision contest by conscionable 1 point, beating English popular vocalist Scott Fitzgerald. 

Following the video, 4 singers from the 2024 Eurovision contention — Jerry Heil (Ukraine), iolanda (Portugal), Marina Satti (Greece) and Silvester Belt (Lithuania) — sang Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi on signifier arsenic drones performed supra them.

Heil later expressed her admiration for Dion successful a station connected societal media. 

"The biggest THANK YOU to @celinedion for being a crushed it's happening and for letting america interaction your legendary opus with our voices! It is simply a imagination to stock 1 signifier with you 1 day!"

Dion's appearances constricted owed to health

Dion is surviving with stiff idiosyncratic syndrome, a uncommon neurological upset that causes abrupt and terrible musculus spasms. She revealed her diagnosis successful a video to her fans successful December 2022 and aboriginal cancelled her 2023 Courage satellite tour. 

She did not execute publically again until past summer, erstwhile she gave a triumphant show connected the Eiffel Tower to unfastened the Paris Olympic Games, her archetypal since going nationalist with her wellness condition. 

WATCH | Dion wows fans with Eiffel Tower performance during Paris Olympics opening ceremony:

The five-time Grammy and 20-time Juno grant winner sat down with CBC News main analogous Adrienne Arsenault last year at her location successful Las Vegas, to sermon the effects stiff idiosyncratic syndrome has had connected her assemblage and her almighty voice, and her fears the information mightiness bounds her quality to ever sing again. 

She began experiencing symptoms of the unwellness backmost successful 2008, erstwhile she archetypal felt spasms successful her vocal cords. 

In the interview, Dion told Arsenault she persevered done her attraction and rehabilitation with the mantra, "I'll sing again."

With oregon without a show by Dion, anticipation is gathering for the Eurovision finals. 

Switzerland took connected hosting duties for the 69th variation of the competition after winning past twelvemonth with Nemo's The Code.

Thirty-seven countries are taking portion successful this year's contest, with the 2nd circular of semi-finals taking spot connected Thursday night. Five countries were eliminated successful Tuesday's circular of semi-finals, with 10 others moving connected to the finals. 

The Grand Final takes spot successful Basel connected Saturday, opening astatine 3 p.m. ET. 

WATCH | Céline Dion on coping with stiff idiosyncratic syndrome, determination to execute again: