Ticketmaster has been forced to temporarily halt the sale of tickets for Celine Dion's highly anticipated comeback concerts after detecting "suspicious activity" that prevented genuine fans from purchasing tickets. The Canadian singer is scheduled to perform 10 shows at the La Défense arena in Paris from 12 September to 14 October this year.
Fans Left Frustrated After Hours of Queuing
Dion described the return to the stage as the "best gift of my life," following her well-documented battle with Stiff Person Syndrome, diagnosed in 2022. However, many fans were left furious on Thursday (4 June) when Ticketmaster paused the sale due to bots and scalpers buying up tickets in large numbers.
In a statement from the company's French account, Ticketmaster said: "Tickets are still available for Celine Dion. 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."
An updated statement confirmed the sale had been postponed: "Tickets are still available and will be held until the new sale date and time."
Fans React to the Disruption
Fans have branded the situation a "disgrace" after spending hours in online queues, only to be unable to secure tickets. One angry 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, really pathetic."
The Independent has contacted Ticketmaster for further comment. This is a developing story, and more details are expected to follow.
