Power Outage Hits Southeastern France, Threatening Cannes Film Festival
CANNES, France — A major power outage struck southeastern France on Saturday morning, threatening to jeopardize the Cannes Film Festival’s closing celebrations, including the much-anticipated Palme d’Or ceremony.
Police said they have opened an investigation into possible arson.
Power was restored hours before the ceremony, around 3 p.m. local time, as music began blasting again from beachfront speakers. The end of the blackout was greeted with loud cheers from locals.
Causes of the Power Outage
Earlier, about 160,000 households in the Alpes-Maritimes department lost electricity after a high-voltage line fell Saturday morning, electricity network operator RTE said on X. The outage came hours after a fire at an electrical substation near Cannes overnight had already weakened the grid.
“We are looking into the likelihood of a fire being started deliberately,” said a police spokesperson for the French national gendarmerie.
Investigation and Response
In a statement, Laurent Hottiaux, the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes department, condemned “serious acts of damage to electrical infrastructures”
“All resources are mobilized to identify, track down, arrest and bring to justice the perpetrators of these acts,” said Hottiaux.
Cannes Film Festival organizers confirmed the outage affected the early activities of Saturday and said the Palais des Festivals — the Croisette’s main venue — had switched to an independent power supply.
Impact on the Cannes Film Festival
“All scheduled events and screenings, including the Closing Ceremony, will proceed as planned and under normal conditions,” the statement said. “At this stage, the cause of the outage has not yet been identified. Restoration efforts are underway.”
Traffic lights in parts of Cannes and the surrounding city of Antibes stopped working after 10 a.m., leading to traffic jams and confusion in city centers. Most shops along the Croisette remained closed, and local food kiosks were only accepting cash. Train service in Cannes was also disrupted.
Screenings at the Cineum, one of the festival’s satellite venues, were briefly suspended, the festival added.
The Palme d’Or Ceremony
The Palme d’Or — the festival’s most prestigious prize — was set to be awarded Saturday night, with top contenders 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.
Conclusion
The power outage in southeastern France caused significant disruptions to the Cannes Film Festival, but fortunately, power was restored in time for the Palme d’Or ceremony. The investigation into the cause of the outage is ongoing, and authorities are working to identify and bring to justice those responsible.
FAQs
Q: What caused the power outage in southeastern France?
A: The cause of the outage is still under investigation, but it is believed to have been caused by a combination of a fire at an electrical substation and a high-voltage line falling.
Q: Was the Cannes Film Festival affected by the power outage?
A: Yes, the outage affected the early activities of the festival, but power was restored in time for the Palme d’Or ceremony.
Q: Are the authorities investigating the possibility of arson?
A: Yes, the police have opened an investigation into possible arson and are working to identify and bring to justice those responsible.
