A major power outage struck southeastern France on Saturday morning, throwing the glamorous Cannes Film Festival into temporary disarray as it prepared to award its top prize. Authorities say about 160,000 households across the Alpes-Maritimes region lost power after a high-voltage line fell. The outage, which lasted for several hours, has sparked an arson investigation after a fire was reported at an electrical substation near Cannes overnight.
The blackout caused widespread disruption across Cannes and nearby Antibes. Traffic lights stopped working, leading to traffic jams in city centers. Many shops remained closed, while food vendors on the Croisette resorted to cash-only sales. Train services in Cannes were also affected, compounding the disruption.
The Cannes Film Festival, one of the world’s most prestigious cultural events, was not spared. Screenings at the Cineum, a satellite venue for the festival, were briefly suspended due to the outage. Organizers confirmed that the Palais des Festivals—the festival’s main venue—was able to continue operations by switching to an independent power supply.
Festival staff assured the public that all scheduled events, including the highly anticipated Closing Ceremony, would proceed as planned. Music returned to the beachfront and power was fully restored by 3 p.m., drawing cheers from locals and festival-goers alike.
Police have launched an investigation into the possibility that the fire at the electrical substation was deliberately set. A spokesperson for the French national gendarmerie stated, “We are looking into the likelihood of a fire being started deliberately.” No suspects have been named at this time.
As Cannes continues to bask in the spotlight of international attention, the power outage serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities facing even the most high-profile events.
