Fans of Celine Dion have criticised a chaotic presale process for her highly anticipated return to the stage, with complaints ranging from glitching systems to UK postcodes being rejected.
The music icon, 58, announced on Monday that she will perform a ten-night residency at Paris La Défense Arena in September and October, marking her long-awaited comeback.
Fans were invited to register for a presale ballot, with tickets set to go on sale from April 6 ahead of a general release on April 10. However, many attempting to sign up reported significant issues with the process.
Some described a confusing “queue for a queue” system run by ticketing platform AXS, with users forced to wait hours simply to register their interest.
One fan wrote on X: “There is a waiting line to register to the raffle that might get you a code for presale. A queue for a queue to maybe get a code to queue again.”
Others reported being stuck for hours, with little progress.
“There is a queue to register for presale tickets and it’s not moving forward. That doesn’t bode well,” another posted, while a third joked: “I’ve been in a queue for over three hours. My heart will not go on.”
Technical glitches also caused frustration, with some users unable to complete the process due to repeated payment failures or being flagged as bots.
“Can you please fix the glitch so it stops thinking I’m a robot?” one user wrote.
Once through, some fans said they struggled to navigate the site, which appeared entirely in French with no clear translation option.
“I’ve registered but the website was entirely in French – hoping my A-Level still holds up,” one joked.
UK-based fans also reported problems entering their details, with some saying their postcodes were not accepted and that the UK was missing from dropdown options.
One user branded the system a “shambles”, adding: “Doesn’t accept my postcode… every country in the world listed apart from the UK.”
Others raised concerns after being asked to enter bank card details during registration, despite not yet being able to purchase tickets.
AXS has said cards are not charged and are used only to verify users and prevent bots.
The presale issues come as Dion prepares for her return following a battle with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological condition she revealed in 2022.
Announcing the shows, she told fans: “I’m so ready to do this. I’m feeling good, I’m strong, I’m excited… and of course a little nervous.
“Every day I felt your support, your kindness and your love. I can’t wait to see you again.”
The residency follows her emotional performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic opening ceremony, widely seen as a milestone in her recovery.
Prior to that, her last full-length concert was in 2020.
