Power Outage Disrupts Cannes Film Festival Just Before Palme d’Or Ceremony

The iconic city of Cannes faced an unexpected power outage on Saturday morning, just hours before the highly anticipated awards ceremony of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where the prestigious Palme d’Or will be awarded. As festivalgoers prepared for the closing events, the power failure raised concerns, but festival representatives assured attendees that plans would proceed as normal.

What Happened in Cannes?

Around 10:15 a.m. local time, as the press conference for Kelly Reichardt’s competition film “The Mastermind” was beginning, power outages struck various areas of Cannes. According to reports from Screen, several screening rooms were affected, interrupting film showings at one of the festival’s critical moments. The J.W. Marriott, a popular hub for festival attendees seeking internet access, experienced erratic power fluctuations, prompting many to search for reliable places to stay connected.

The festival’s representative confirmed to Variety, “A power outage is currently affecting the city of Cannes and surrounding areas.” They added that restoration efforts were ongoing, though the cause of the outage was still undetermined at the time.

Cause of the Power Outage

Initial investigations suggest that the outage may be linked to malicious acts, as reported by Franceinfo. There were two arson attacks reported near the Saint-Cassien power plant, and several electricity pylons have been discovered damaged. This raises concerns among local authorities, and the Ministry of the Interior is continuing to investigate the situation.

Despite the chaos, the Palais des Festivals has switched to an independent power supply, allowing key events—most notably the Closing Ceremony—to continue as planned, albeit with issues persisting at other venues like the Cineum, where screenings were temporarily suspended.

Outlook for the Festival

By 2:20 p.m. local time, still no power had been restored to parts of the city. However, David Lisnard, the mayor of Cannes, indicated that power company EDF was making efforts to resolve the situation by the afternoon. The festival’s closing ceremony, scheduled for 6:40 p.m. CET, is set to feature an esteemed jury headlined by actress Juliette Binoche. She will be joined by a distinguished panel, including Halle Berry, Jeremy Strong, Payal Kapadia, Hong Sansoo, Alba Rohrwacher, Leïla Slimani, Dieudo Hamadi, and Carlos Reygadas, to announce the festival’s top awards.

The uncertainty surrounding the outage has cast a shadow over the festival’s closing events, yet the resilience of the festival team, combined with independent power supply measures, aims to ensure that the show will go on.

As news continues to unfold in Cannes, the festival community remains hopeful that power will be restored promptly, allowing the evening’s festivities to proceed smoothly.

The Cannes Film Festival, known for showcasing cinematic achievements, highlights not only the beauty of film but the resilience of its community even in the face of adversity. As the night approaches, all eyes will be on the Palais des Festivals, eagerly awaiting the winners of this year’s accolades.