A massive power outage has hit south-eastern France, temporarily disrupting screenings on the final day of the Cannes Film Festival. Approximately 160,000 homes in the city of Cannes and surrounding municipalities lost power on Saturday, according to France’s electricity operator RTE. The outage affected the Alpes-Maritimes area, with supply restored by 15:00 local time.
Laurent Aboukrat, owner of Cannes’ Jamin restaurant, expressed his frustration, saying, “Another hour and I’ll throw everything away.” His fridges had been off since morning, and he struggled to operate during the cut. Australian producer Darren Vukasinovic described the situation as “crisis territory,” stating, “Cannes is in a total slowdown, meltdown, there’s no coffee anywhere, and I think the town has run out of croissants”.
Police are investigating a possible arson attack on a power substation, with a gendarmerie spokesperson stating, “We are looking into the likelihood of a fire being started deliberately”. The incident caused disruptions to traffic lights, shops, and restaurants, with train services also affected.
Despite the disruptions, the Cannes Film Festival organizers confirmed that the closing ceremony would proceed as planned, thanks to an independent power supply at the Palais des Festivals. French actress Juliette Binoche and her jury will announce the winner of the Palme d’Or, the highest prize awarded at the festival.
The outage interrupted several screenings, but organizers were able to switch to private generators. The cause of the outage is still under investigation, with restoration efforts underway. Authorities urged residents to remain cautious during the disruption.
The power outage at the Cannes Film Festival caused significant disruptions to the event’s activities. Shops along the famous Croisette street remained closed, and food kiosks were only accepting cash, adding to the chaos. Traffic lights in Cannes and Antibes stopped working, leading to traffic jams, and train services in Cannes were also disrupted. Screenings at the Cineum were suspended, and several events were interrupted before organizers were able to switch to private generators.
Despite the challenges, the festival organizers confirmed that the closing ceremony would proceed as planned, thanks to an independent power supply at the Palais des Festivals. The power outage affected 160,000 households in Alpes-Maritimes after a high-voltage line fell on Saturday, and a fire at an electrical substation near Cannes weakened the grid. Police opened an investigation into possible arson, with a spokesperson stating they were looking into a fire started deliberately. Power was eventually restored around 3 p.m., with locals greeting the end of the blackout with cheers.