A power outage that briefly impacted the Cannes Film Festival in southeastern France on Saturday has been attributed to acts of sabotage, including arson targeting a substation and damage to a transmission tower. The outage left approximately 160,000 homes in Cannes and its vicinity without electricity for several hours.
The incident, as reported by RTE, France’s electrical grid operator, was quickly responded to, with power fully restored by late afternoon. Despite the interruption to some screenings, festival organizers efficiently switched to backup generators, ensuring that the closing ceremony, where the prestigious Palme d’Or prize is awarded, would proceed as planned.
Laurent Hottiaux, the state representative for the Alpes-Maritimes region, confirmed that “major damage to network installations” was caused by these deliberate acts. He emphasized that efforts are underway to track down those responsible for these criminal actions, stating, “All resources are being mobilized to identify, track down, arrest and bring to justice the perpetrators of these acts.”
RTE mentioned that the outage was precipitated by an overnight fire at the substation west of Cannes, though firefighters were able to control the situation effectively, allowing for power diversion from other lines to restore electricity.
This unfortunate incident underscores the resilience of the festival and the quick response from emergency services, reflecting the dedication of local authorities to maintain public safety and the continuity of important cultural events like the Cannes Film Festival.