Celine Dion remaining dates of her Courage World Tour recovery health issues
Celine Dion has canceled the remaining dates of her Courage World Tour amid her recovery from ongoing health issues, her team announced Friday.
Dion’s Courage World Tour had already faced numerous setbacks and postponements since kicking off in Sept. 2019, including a prolonged hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. All rescheduled tour dates were also postponed or canceled entirely while Dion recovered from “severe and persistent muscle spasms,” later revealing them as symptoms of stiff-person syndrome.
The tour has yet to resume since March 2020.
In Friday’s announcement, Dion has now confirmed the cancellation of all remaining rescheduled dates through 2024.
“I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again,” Dion wrote in a statement posted to her official site. “I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100%. It’s not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again. I want you all to know, I’m not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again!”
Dion first revealed her diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, in Dec. 2022.
“I wasn’t ready to say anything before, but I’m ready now,” the Canadian singer said in a video she posted to social media. “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 and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through.”
Stiff-person syndrome, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), “is characterized by fluctuating muscle rigidity in the trunk and limbs and a heightened sensitivity to stimuli such as noise, touch, and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms.”
The disease also causes trouble with walking or movement, and is associated with heightened risks of falls.
Treatment includes intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), muscle relaxants and pain relievers, but there is no known cure.
In Friday’s press release, a spokesperson for Dion confirmed her intentions to resume her performances “sometime soon … but that time is simply not now.”
Fans who already purchased tickets for the 42 canceled tour dates are being refunded. Those with additional questions are being directed toward their ticket providers.
Celine Dion cancels all tour dates amid health battle with incurable neurological disorder
'My Heart Will Go On' singer, 55, reveals diagnosis of stiff person syndrome, Celine Dion has officially announced the cancelation of her Courage World Tour after her continuous battle with an incurable neurological disorder.
The iconic 55-year-old singer took to Instagram to update fans on her health condition.
"It is with tremendous disappointment that we have to announce today the cancelation of the Courage World Tour," Dion began her in-depth post.
"I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again. I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100%," she added.
"It’s not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again. I want you all to know, I’m not giving up … and I can’t wait to see you again!"
The "My Heart Will Go On" singer stunned fans in December when she revealed that she had been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, which she noted, "affects something like one in a million people."
Stiff person syndrome is defined by the Cleveland Clinic as "a rare autoimmune movement disorder that affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). People with this condition first experience a stiffening of the muscles of their trunk followed, over time, by the development of stiffness and rigidity in the legs and other muscles in the body."
Dion continued to inform fans how they can get refunded for their tickets.
"Tickets purchased for the forty-two cancelled dates will be refunded via the original point of sale. For further ticket inquiries or options, ticketholders should reach out to their original point of purchase," the post said.
"While we're still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what has been causing all of the spasms I've been having," she said. "Unfortunately, these 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."
In January 2022, Dion announced she was canceling the rest of the North American tour dates on her "Courage" tour due to "severe and persistent muscle spasms" that left her unable to perform.
Following her announcement, Dion's tour dates for Feb. 24 to April 11, 2023, were rescheduled for March 6 to April 22, 2024, and her summer performances from May 31 to July 17, 2023, were canceled.
Comments
Post a Comment