Power outage disrupts Cannes film festival
POLITICO - Saturday, May 24, 2025The southeastern part of France, including the city of Cannes, suffered a power outage on Saturday, temporarily disrupting the international film festival.
About 160,000 households lost power on Saturday morning around 10 a.m. following a fire at a high-voltage transformer and damage to power lines, France’s electricity operator RTE said, adding it is working to restore the system.
Both the fire and the damage to the power lines appeared to be of criminal origin, according to the local police which opened an investigation.
The power cut also disrupted internet connections, the phone network, as well as traffic in the city and the train system.
The organizers of the Cannes film festival, which closes on Saturday night with the award of the prestigious Palme d’Or, said the blackout led to few disruptions.
Some film screenings were interrupted, but the closing ceremony will take place as planned on Saturday night and “in normal conditions” as the venue runs on independent power generators, the organizers said.