Sabotage suspected as Cannes Film Festival struck by major power outage

Cause of the widespread outage is under investigation, with foul play reportedly suspected

The Cannes Film Festival was forced to briefly halt events Saturday morning after a major power outage hit the southeastern part of France.

The widespread power outage happened just as the festival was preparing to hand out its top prize. It additionally disrupted traffic in the area.

Electricity network operator RTE said on X that about 160,000 households in the Alpes-Maritimes department lost electricity after a high-voltage line fell.

The outage came hours after a fire at an electrical substation near Cannes overnight had already weakened the grid.

Authorities have said they are “looking into the likelihood of a fire being started deliberately.”

Cannes Film Festival organizers confirmed the outage affected the early activities on Saturday and said the Palais des Festivals — the Croisette’s main venue — had switched to an independent power supply.

“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.”

Scarlett Johansson’s (right) directorial debut, ‘Eleanor the Great,’ starring June Squibb (left), premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival (2025 Invision)

Still, screenings at the Cineum, one of the festival’s satellite venues, were briefly suspended, the festival added.

Meanwhile, other festival activities, including press conferences for the Dardenne brothers’ Young Mothers and Martin Bourboulon’s war drama 13 Days, 13 Nights, went ahead as planned, according to Deadline.

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.

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Authorities said restoration efforts were ongoing and urged residents to remain cautious during travel.

Despite RTE saying that it’s too early to determine the cause of the power outage, local outlet Francinfo reported that foul play is suspected, with alleged arson attacks first affecting a power plant in Tanneron, Van, on Friday evening.

Controversial right-wing politician Éric Ciotti alleged that the incident was deliberate, writing on X: “A massive power outage is affecting the department. A pylon was sabotaged in Villeneuve-Loubet and a transformer caught in a fire: initial indications suggest a deliberate, even terrorist, attack.

“We need full transparency and quick answers,” he demanded, alongside an image of a leaning electrical tower.

The 2025 Cannes Film Festival, which has been ongoing since May 13, is getting ready to award its top prize, the Palme d’Or, to the movie the festival’s jury has deemed the Best Feature Film.

Currently, Danish-Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, starring Elle Fanning, Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård, is predicted to land the coveted trophy. Following its screening, it earned an extended 19-minute standing ovation.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press