The Let's Talk About Love World Tour was the ninth concert tour by Canadian singer Celine Dion, launched in support of her fifth EnglishâÂÂlanguage studio album, Let's Talk About Love (1997). The tour began in Boston, United States, on 21 August 1998 and concluded in Montreal, Canada, on 31 December 1999. Spanning 97 performances across North America, Europe, and Asia, it became the highestâÂÂgrossing tour by a female artist of the 1990s, earning an estimated $133 million. In North America, it was the topâÂÂgrossing tour by a female artist in 1998 with $38.1 million in revenue, and the fourth highestâÂÂgrossing in 1999 with an additional $26.9 million. The tour also included two soldâÂÂout concerts at the Stade de France in Paris, attended by more than 180,000 people. It received generally positive reviews, with critics praising Dion's vocal performance. At the 1998 Pollstar Awards, it earned nominations for Major Tour of the Year and Most Creative Stage Production.
Following her win at the 25th American Music Awards, Dion announced plans for a new tour beginning in the summer of 1998. Early preview concerts in Melbourne and Honolulu included a setlist based on the ' tour, with the addition of "The Reason" and "My Heart Will Go On". The tour was officially announced in February 1998 and scheduled to open on 21 August in Boston.
The tour received regional sponsorships from Procter & Gamble in Canada, Avon in Europe, and Ericsson in the United States. Dion also inaugurated the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida, performing for nearly 20,000 attendees.
Dion stated that the setlist would include songs from her thenâÂÂcurrent album, earlier hits, and several FrenchâÂÂlanguage selections.
As the tour extended into 1999, Dion performed in Asia and additional North American cities. After her husband René Angélil was diagnosed with skin cancer, she postponed the remaining North American dates and cancelled part of the European leg, later resuming the tour in June 1999. After the European shows, Dion announced a New Year's Eve event in Montreal. The Millennium Concert introduced a revised setlist and guest performances by Canadian artists.
In October 1999, Dion opened the new Pepsi Center in Denver, dedicating the concert to victims of the Columbine High School massacre and donating all proceeds to the Colorado Organization of Victim Assistance. She later stated that this would be her final tour before taking a break to start a family.
The tour introduced a new staging concept for Dion, as the show was presented in the round. Stage designer Yves Aucoin explained that he aimed to create a large-scale production while preserving a sense of intimacy. The heart-shaped stage incorporated five circular platforms capable of raising and lowering performers. It was constructed by Scène ÃÂthique. Above the stage, four large video screens were arranged in a circular formation, while the stage floor incorporated video panels using Jumbotron technology.
Dion initially felt nervous performing in this configuration, as it offered little opportunity to rest while on stage. She noted that the idea was inspired by a Stevie Wonder concert she attended as a child. The entire production cost more than $10 million. For certain venues, such as in Munich, a 180-degree stage layout was used due to space limitations.
The tour received generally positive reviews, with critics praising Dion's vocal control, emotional delivery, and versatility as a live performer.
For the opening concert in Boston, Steve Morse of The Boston Globe wrote that "despite Dion's nerves, she was able to pull off a successful concert", adding that "for pure entertainment, however, this was a volcanic triumph". Dion thanked the audience for being "lucky charm people", as it was the third time she had launched a world tour in the city.
In Oakland, James Sullivan of the San Francisco Chronicle noted Dion's strength as a live vocalist. He described the show's most compelling moment as a medley performed with her band at the front of the stage, noting that each song was delivered "with tender careâÂÂno small feat in a basketball gym". He also remarked that "All the Way" avoided excess sentimentality, with the accordion adding a touch of her FrenchâÂÂlanguage roots.
Adam Sandler of Variety also reviewed the tour positively, writing that Dion "kept the vocal histrionics and hyper stage movements she has become known for to a minimum", instead focusing on vocal control and a more relaxed stage presence.
In Toronto, Jane Stevenson of Jam! awarded the concert four out of five stars. She described the staging of the opening number, "Let's Talk About Love", noting the gradual rise of the nineâÂÂmember band and the later appearance of a children's choir for the finale.
The first glimpse of the tour appeared in the music video for "S'il suffisait d'aimer", recorded during Dion's concert in Chicago in September 1998. Footage from that performance, along with material from one of the December 1998 shows in Montreal, was later included in the television special Un an avec Céline, hosted by Julie Snyder. The final concert at the National Car Rental Center was filmed and broadcast on The Oprah Winfrey Show, which also included behindâÂÂtheâÂÂscenes segments. Dion additionally performed "To Love You More" live in Tokyo for the UNCF's An Evening of Stars. The millennium concert was aired on TVA in Canada.
The concerts at the Stade de France in Paris were recorded for a CD/DVD release titled Au cà Âur du stade. During the show, Jean-Jacques Goldman joined Dion for "J'irai où tu iras", while "To Love You More" included violinist Taro Hakase, and Diana King appeared on screen during "Treat Her Like a Lady". The accompanying CD presented an abbreviated version of the concert, focusing primarily on her FrenchâÂÂlanguage repertoire. A live video of "Dans un autre monde" was used to promote both the CD and DVD editions.
The following set list is taken from the 1998 US leg of the tour and does not represent all concerts.
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