CANNES, France (AP) – On Saturday, May 24, 2025, in an unexpected turn of events, French authorities suspected arson may have contributed to a significant power outage in southeast France that threatened the closing celebrations of the Cannes Film Festival. The outage particularly raised concerns about the plans for the much-anticipated Palme d'Or ceremony.
Fortunately, power was restored just hours before the ceremony, around 3 p.m. local time. As electricity returned, music blared again from beachfront speakers, prompting loud cheers from locals relieved to see services restored.
According to a spokesperson for the French national gendarmerie, an investigation was underway to determine the role of arson in a fire at an electrical substation located near Cannes, which had compromised the electrical grid overnight. Hours later, a high-voltage line fell at another location, leading to the power outage. Authorities were probing the circumstances that caused the line to collapse.
The outage affected approximately 160,000 households in the Alpes-Maritimes area. Laurent Hottiaux, the prefect for the region, condemned what he termed "serious acts of damage to electrical infrastructures." Hottiaux emphasized, "All resources are mobilized to identify, track down, arrest and bring to justice the perpetrators of these acts."
The organizers of the Cannes Film Festival confirmed that the power outage impacted the early activities on Saturday but stated that the Palais des Festivals—the main venue on the Croisette—had switched to an independent power supply. In their statement, they assured, "All scheduled events and screenings, including the Closing Ceremony, will proceed as planned and under normal conditions." However, they also noted that the cause of the outage was still under investigation and that restoration efforts were ongoing.
The power outage resulted in non-functional traffic lights in parts of Cannes and the neighboring city of Antibes, leading to chaotic traffic conditions and confusion in city centers. Many shops along the Croisette remained closed, and local food kiosks were only accepting cash transactions. Train service in Cannes also faced disruptions due to the blackout.
Furthermore, screenings at the Cineum, one of the festival's satellite venues, experienced brief suspensions. Despite the challenges posed by the power outage, anticipation remained high for the evening's events. The Palme d'Or, the festival's most prestigious award, was scheduled to be presented that night. Leading contenders included 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."
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