A major power outage hit southeastern France on Saturday morning, posing a threat to the closing celebrations of the Cannes Film Festival, particularly the highly anticipated Palme d’Or ceremony.
Police said they have opened an investigation into possible arson.
Power was reinstated just hours before the ceremony, approximately around 3 p.m. local time, as music once again filled the air from the beachfront speakers. The end of the blackout was met with lively cheers from the local residents.
Employees stand outside a shop during an electricity outage in Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
“All resources are mobilized to identify, track down, arrest and bring to justice the perpetrators of these acts,” said Hottiaux.
Organizers of the Cannes Film Festival verified that the power failure impacted the earlier events of Saturday. They also mentioned that the Palais des Festivals, the primary venue on the Croisette, had made a switch to an alternative power source.
“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 are switched off during an electricity outage in Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly) (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
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 — 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.”
