The last day of Cannes Film Festival breaks down power; police investigate possible arson

A massive power outage hit southeastern France on Saturday morning, the prestigious event prepared to award its highest award, sabotaging traffic and briefly halted the event at the Cannes Film Festival.

The local era was around 3pm, and the power was restored as the music started to explode from the beachside speakers 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.

Police have investigated possible arson.

A spokesman for the French National Military Police said: “We are considering the possibility of intentional fire.”

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 region and surrounding antibody cities stopped working after 10 a.m. local time, 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 lineup is It was unveiled last month for Cannes.