Eurovision winner Céline Dion's comeback at the Olympics 2024 opening

There has long been speculation as to whether the Eurovision 1988 winner Céline Dion would perform at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. On Friday she appeared on television screens worldwide from the middle balcony of the Eiffel Tower under the Olympic rings at the end of the opening ceremony in Paris.

A clearly moved Céline Dion performed the song "L'Hymne à L'amour" (English: "The Hymn to Love") as a tribute to the French singer Edith Piaf.

It is Céline Dion's first performance since she publicly announced in 2022 that she suffered from a rare autoimmune disease called stiff person syndrome. An illness that also forced her to cancel her world tour. A disease that affects the central nervous system, causing painful cramps and increasing stiffness in the muscles.

She won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1988 for Switzerland with the song "Ne partez pas sans moi" by just one point. Four years later, in 1992, she won her first Grammy, and since then she has won a sea of other prizes, including 20 awards and been nominated no less than 75 times at the Juno Awards, the Canadian counterpart to the American Grammy Awards.

L’Hymne à l’amour

"L’Hymne à l’amour" is one of the most iconic French songs, famously performed by Edith Piaf.

Edith Piaf wrote the lyrics of "L’Hymne à l’amour" in 1949, a time when she was experiencing an all-consuming romance with Marcel Cerdan. Cerdan was a world champion middleweight boxer, and their love story captivated the public. Piaf’s passionate lyrics were a reflection of her profound love and devotion to Cerdan.

In October 1949, while "L’Hymne à l’amour" was still being developed, Marcel Cerdan died in a plane crash on his way to meet Piaf in New York. The sudden and devastating loss of her great love left Piaf heartbroken, but she continued to perform and recorded “L’Hymne à l’amour” in 1950.

Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest

Switzerland has been a part of the Eurovision Song Contest 64 times since the beginning in 1956 - in Switzerland. And the winner of the very first Eurovision Song Contest was... Lys Assia from Switzerland with the song "Refrain."

Switzerland won the 1988 contest with a then-unknown girl, Céline Dion, with the song "Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi" (only ONE point in front of number two, the United Kingdom). A star was born!

Their latest victory was in Eurovision 2024 where Nemo won with "The Code".

Since the introduction of the Semi-finals in 2004, Switzerland has only managed to qualify for the Grand Final in 9 out of 20 tries. Switzerland is a proud member of "Club Null," with four contests without any points.