Cannes Film Festival Perseveres Amid Power Outage Drama

A power outage disrupted Cannes, including the film festival's Palme d'Or ceremony. Suspected arson led to electricity loss in southeastern France. Authorities are investigating, while festival events resumed with independent power. The situation highlighted regional infrastructure vulnerabilities amidst festival celebrations.

A major power outage struck southeastern France on Saturday morning, casting uncertainty over the Cannes Film Festival's closing celebrations, including the prestigious Palme d'Or ceremony. Authorities have begun investigating the incident as potential arson.

The outage impacted approximately 160,000 households after a high-voltage line collapsed, following a fire incident at a nearby electrical substation. Despite the challenges, power was reinstated by 3 pm local time, met with local applause.

Cannes Film Festival organizers confirmed early disruptions but ensured all planned events, including screenings, resumed under normal conditions. The incident has underscored regional infrastructure vulnerabilities and sparked an ongoing investigation by French national police.

(With inputs from agencies.)