Ticketmaster Halts Sale of Celine Dion Tickets Amid Suspicious Activity
Ticketmaster has temporarily paused the sale of tickets for Celine Dion’s highly anticipated comeback shows, after identifying “suspicious activity” that prevented genuine fans from securing their spots. The Canadian singer is set to perform 10 shows at the La Défense arena in Paris later this year, from 12 September through 14 October.
Dion described the return as the “best gift of my life,” following a well-documented battle with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), which she was diagnosed with in 2022. However, fans were left frustrated when Ticketmaster had to halt the sale on Thursday, 4 June, due to bots and scalpers quickly snapping up tickets in bulk.
A statement from Ticketmaster’s French account said: “Tickets are still available for Celine Dion.” It added, “Our technical teams have identified suspicious activities and are actively working to prevent these bad actors from disrupting the sale. We are doing everything possible to restart the queue as quickly as possible. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused and sincerely thank all affected fans for their patience and understanding.”
Fans have taken to social media to express their outrage over the situation, calling it “a disgrace” after waiting for hours in the hope of seeing Dion perform. One fan wrote on X: “Finally got on the site after three-and-a-half hours getting a thousand different messages to be kicked out and back to square one,” adding, “really pathetic.”
Another user criticized Ticketmaster for a “wasted morning” spent waiting in vain to purchase tickets. They shared: “Connected to the site at 9am, 6,000th in the queue at 10am, three hours to access the sale, only to finally get ‘The session is not open for sale,’ be kicked off the site… and end up 33,000th in the queue, you are a disgrace!”
The Independent has reached out to Ticketmaster for further comment.
Celine Dion’s Health Struggles and Return to the Stage
Following her diagnosis with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), Dion announced the cancellation of the remaining dates of her rescheduled tour. In a statement, she said: “I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100 per cent.”
SPS is a rare neurological condition that affects just one or two in every one million people. It begins with muscle spasms and, over time, can cause crippling full-body attacks and torso rigidity.
When she first announced her diagnosis in December 2022, the “My Heart Will Go On” singer posted an emotional video on her Instagram page explaining that she had been diagnosed with SPS, which she said affects “every aspect of my daily life.”
In 2024, Dion was the subject of an Oscar-nominated documentary by Irene Taylor for Prime Video, titled I Am: Celine Dion, which followed the Grammy-winning star as she coped with her diagnosis. That same year, she spoke of her determination to return to the live stage and perform once again.
“Trying to overcome this autoimmune disorder has been one of the hardest experiences of my life, but I remain determined to one day get back onto the stage and to live as normal of a life as possible,” she wrote on Instagram.
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