Arson suspects a power outage in southeastern France ruins the last day of the Cannes Film Festival – Country
On Saturday morning, a major power outage hit southeastern France, threatening to endanger the Cannes Film Festival’s closing celebrations, including the highly anticipated Palme d'Or ceremony.
Police said they have investigated possible arson.
A few hours before the ceremony, around 3 p.m. local time, the power has been restored as the music speaker explodes from the beachfront speaker again. The end of the power outage was filled with loud cheers from locals.
Earlier, about 160,000 households lost power in the Alps tide sector after the high voltage line fell on Saturday morning, power network operator RTE said on X. The power outage has been weakened for hours after a fire at an electrical substation overnight in Cannes.
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A police spokesman for the French National Military Police said: “We are studying the possibility of intentional fire.”
Alpes-Maritimes County Governor Laurent Hottiaux condemned “serious damage to electrical infrastructure” in a statement
“All resources are mobilized to identify, track, arrest and bring to justice the perpetrators of these actions.”
Cannes Film Festival organizers confirmed the power outage affected early Saturday's event and said Palais des Desivals – the main venue in Croisette – had turned to a standalone power supply.
“All scheduled events and screenings, including the closing ceremony, will be carried out as planned and under normal circumstances,” the statement said. “At this stage, the cause of the power outage has not been determined. Recovery is underway.”
Traffic lights in the Cannes area and surrounding Antibes stopped working after 10 a.m., causing traffic congestion and chaos in the city center. Most stores along the Croisette are still closed, and local food kiosks accept cash only. Train services in Cannes were also interrupted.
The festival added that screenings at the cinema, one of the festival’s satellite venues, were temporarily suspended.
The Palme d'Or — the festival's most prestigious prize — was set to be awarded Saturday night, with top contenters including Joachim Trier's family drama “Sentimental Value,” Jafar Panahi's revenge thriller “It Was Just an Accident,” Kleber Mendonça Filho's political thriller “The Secret Agent,” and Óliver Laxe's desert road trip “Sirât.”
& Copy 2025 Canadian Press
