ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Skip to main content

'It breaks my heart': Celine Dion cancels 'Courage World Tour' concerts

Share

Canadian singer Celine Dion has cancelled all of her concerts scheduled through to early spring 2024.

In a , Dion announced all remaining Courage World Tour shows have been cancelled due to an ongoing medical condition.

"," Dion said in a statement. "I'm working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you're 100 per cent."

Dion, 55, was diagnosed last year with a rare neurological condition known as stiff person syndrome (SPS).

WHAT'S STIFF PERSON SYNDROME

SPS is a neurological condition that impacts a person's muscles, and in Dion’s case, it hinders her ability to perform.

People with SPS have described the condition as "excruciating" and say it causes "debilitating" pain because of heightened sensitivity to noise and touch. The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says SPS has "features" of an autoimmune disorder.

"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," the Canadian icon said Friday. "I want you all to know, I’m not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again!â€

Last month, Dion released new music and revealed her acting debut in a new romantic comedy. Her first single, "Love Again," was the title track from an upcoming film where she plays a supporting role.

The film tells the story of a woman who finds solace from the sudden death of her fiancé by texting his old cell phone number, only to find a new connection with a different man who had the number reassigned to him.

A total of 42 shows have been cancelled. Tickets will be refunded via the original point of sale, .

Ticketholders with additional questions are asked to reach out to their original point of purchase.

With files from CTV News' Natasha O'Neill and CTV News Montreal's Lillian Roy

CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

Shamattawa RCMP are searching for a missing six-year-old boy who hasn’t been seen since Wednesday morning.

B.C.'s police watchdog is investigating the death of a woman who was shot by the RCMP after allegedly barricading herself in a room with a toddler early Thursday morning.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault is calling on the Bloc Quebecois to topple the Trudeau government next Wednesday and trigger a federal election.

Local Spotlight

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.

A daytrip to the backcountry turned into a frightening experience for a Vancouver couple this weekend.