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Céline Dion gave an emotional tribute to late husband during final Las Vegas show

After 16 years and over 1,400 shows, Celine Dion is ready to start a new chapter after her Las Vegas residency.
Denise Truscello / Caesars Entertainment
/ Source: Today

After 16 years in Las Vegas, Céline Dion gave her final performance at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace to a sold-out crowd of nearly 4,300 people.

Dion, 51, took a moment during the show to pay an emotional tribute to her late husband, René Angélil, noting that his love and support helped her throughout the entirety of her residency, which spanned 1,141 shows.

“I’m both proud and humbled by what we’ve accomplished at the Colosseum since we began 16 years ago when René and I first shared this dream,” the singer said. “This entire experience has been a huge part of my show business career, one that I will cherish forever.

"I have so many people to thank, but the most important ‘thank you’ goes to my fans, who gave us the opportunity to do what we love.”

Dion’s husband passed away at age 73 in 2016 after a long battle with cancer.

The occasion was honored with a photo slideshow set to the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” and included shots from her earliest Colosseum shows in 2003, as well as photos of her late husband and their family. Dion was joined on stage by her three sons and her longtime orchestra and band for a moving final curtain call.

“I am very excited and I am a little bit emotional at the same time,” the singer said to the crowd. “This is our final show in this beautiful Colosseum in Las Vegas."

Dion admitted she was unsure of the show at the beginning when it started back in 2003, despite all of the wonderful memories.

"Then I must have misunderstood something because I thought I was going to be here for three months or something like this and here we are 16 years later," she said. "Maybe we have saved the best for last."

The international superstar pulled out all of the stops for the final performance in her historic Las Vegas run, including debuting a new song from her upcoming album “Courage” called “Flying on My Own.” The popstar also nailed touching performances of her hits "My Heart Will Go On," "The Power of Love," and "Because You Loved Me."

Over the course of nearly two decades, Dion entertained 4 million fans from across the world to see her stunning performance at the iconic venue.

It was a bittersweet ending to 16 years of endless standing ovations and special moments, but Dion is moving on to other musical endeavors. Following the end of her residency, Dion will embark on a world tour set to kick off in Quebec City, Canada, in September. She is planning to travel to over 50 cities across North America.

The upcoming Courage World Tour will be Dion's first tour in the U.S. in over a decade.