Gig review: Celine Dion at First Direct Arena, Leeds

CELINE DION served up a truly brilliant performance on an emotionally fraught evening which left her adoring fans longing for more.
Celine DionCeline Dion
Celine Dion

The show was rescheduled in the wake of the recent Manchester Arena attack and moved across the Pennines to Leeds.

The French-Canadian superstar’s fans turned up in their droves to see their idol perform with such warmth, heart and conviction as she paid tribute to the victims of the atrocities in Manchester and London.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Fans had already been treated to a superb performance by warm-up act Veronique, a musical impressionist who went down a storm as he covered tracks from Tina Turner, Pink, Adele and even Suzanne Boyle.

Then it was time for Dion to take centre stage, a role she seems made for.

Kicking off with The Power of Love to a simple backdrop of “Leeds in loving support of Manchester”, she paid a moving tribute to those affected by the Manchester Arena attack and the emergency services.

The back catalogue of hits continue with Think Twice, You are The Reason, All By Myself and Taking Chances.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The terrific backing band and singers, combined with Dion’s amazing voice, produced an epic two-hour show.

The stunningly beautiful 49-year-old overflows with energy from start to finish and clearly loves what she does.

Her performance and interaction with her fans illustrated as much.

Dion constantly spoke to the audience throughout, talking from the heart about the loss of her husband René Angélil to cancer last year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She made a salient point about hard work making her dreams come true.

“I didn’t just want a hit, I wanted a career,” she remarked, paying tribute to her fans for making her the global superstar she has become.

Her stage presence is electrifying and her different outfits – one included a tousled mane and thigh-high silver boots – merely added to the occasion and the incredible effort she puts in to her shows.

Bounding off stage after her cover of Queen classic The Show Must Go On, it is now time for the encore.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And it just has to be her Titanic classic My Heart Will Go On, doesn’t it?

Dion walks through the crowds to the top of the arena to sing Love of My Life.

It is a fitting finale to a memorable night from a much-loved and incredibly talented artist.

Related topics: