Celine Dion’s showstopping Olympics performance is slammed as ‘FAKE’ and pre-recorded in extraordinary row in France

Celine Dion’s breathtaking ‘live’ performance at the start of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris was pre-recorded, it was claimed in France today.

Millions were moved to tears as the 56-year-old Canadian superstar sang Hymne à L’amour (Hymn to Love) in front of the Eiffel Tower.

It was the culmination of a lavish opening ceremony held mainly along the banks of the River Seine – a ceremony that President Emmanuel Macron said was the “emotional highlight” of the sporting spectacle.

But on Friday, the highly respected newspaper Liberation quoted several music industry experts as saying the July 26 performance was “without a doubt” pre-recorded.

Millions were moved to tears as the 56-year-old Canadian superstar sang Hymne à L’amour (Hymn to Love) in front of the Eiffel Tower

A selection of a video shows Canadian singer Celine Dion performing on the Eiffel Tower during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris

In turn, representatives of the Paris 2024 organizers refused to answer questions about the scandal, despite previously insisting that the performance was indeed live.

“What we heard on TV was a corrected representation,” composer and performer Etienne Guéreau told Liberation.

In comments republished in French media, a sound engineer who wished to remain anonymous said: “It was 100% playable, you can hear it from the first notes.”

Others said it was “without a doubt” pre-recorded, as was an appearance by Ms. Dion during rehearsals.

A YouTuber musician who goes by the name Wings of Pegasus said that the rehearsal and the actual performance also sounded exactly the same – something that is technically impossible as there will always be variations between two versions of a live song.

The Olympics appearance was intended as a triumphant comeback for Ms Dion, who is battling incurable stiffness syndrome.

Hymne à L’amour was chosen because it was originally sung by the late French music icon Edith Piaf.

Thousands of fans took to social media to praise Ms Dion, whose biggest hits include ‘My Heart Will Go On’, the theme from the Titanic film.

The cauldron, with the Olympic flame lit, takes off while attached to a balloon, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris

Celine Dion performs on the Eiffel Tower during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

One said: ‘Okay, I’m quite emotional about Celine’s performance, just wow!’, while another said: ‘Queen Celine is back and she sounds fantastic’.

It was in 2022 that Ms Dion announced she had been diagnosed with the neurological condition ‘stiff-person syndrome’, which causes muscles to stiffen and spasm.

She then vowed to return to the stage “even if I have to crawl,” adding, “My goal is to see the Eiffel Tower again!”

Around 104,000 people paid for tickets to watch the Paris 2024 opening ceremony live, with the best seats costing more than £2,500.

Despite heavy rain, many attended multiple acts, including a pre-recorded performance by Lady Gaga, which was shown on multiple screens along the river and around the world.

But Ms. Dion’s performance was intended to be a live performance, and it has just been released as such on various streaming platforms.

Ms Dion announced on Instagram on Thursday that the ‘live’ recording was available on sites such as YouTube and Spotify.

Fans take photos of Canadian singer Celine Dion outside Le Royal Monceau in Paris on July 27

The performance was the highlight of a lavish opening ceremony held mainly along the banks of the River Seine

The Olympic cauldron is lit during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

“God brings together those who love each other,” Ms. Dion wrote in a reference to the song’s lyrics.

These are Piaf’s words to the love of her life, the French-Algerian boxer Marcel Cerdan, who died in a plane crash in October 1949.

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke about Dion’s Olympic Games performance in an interview with Variety magazine this week, saying it caused the “greatest emotion” of all at Paris 2024.