A major power outage swept through parts of southern France on Saturday, leaving Cannes and other areas in the Alpes-Maritimes region in sudden darkness, reported by NDTV News. As emergency crews rushed to restore electricity, French police launched an investigation into what could be a deliberate arson attack.
The outage struck just as Cannes was preparing for the closing ceremony of its world-famous film festival, causing concern among organizers and attendees. According to officials, the western part of the region, including Cannes, was the most affected. RTE France, the national electricity network operator, quickly began efforts to restore power.
French national police confirmed they are investigating a possible act of arson. “We are looking into the likelihood of a fire being started deliberately,” said a spokesperson for the national gendarmerie. No arrests had been made as of Saturday evening, but the probe is ongoing.
Despite the blackout, the Cannes Film Festival remained resilient. Organizers announced that the Palais des Festivals, the main venue for the event, had switched to an independent power supply. This allowed the scheduled screenings and the much-anticipated closing ceremony to continue without interruption.
“All events, including the Closing Ceremony, will proceed under normal conditions,” said the festival team in a reassuring statement.
Meanwhile, the sudden outage in France follows a day of electrical disruptions across southern Europe, including Spain and Italy. Although the exact link between the incidents is still unclear, the widespread outages have raised concerns about regional infrastructure and security.
As lights slowly returned to homes and streets, questions remained about the true cause of the blackout. Was it a technical failure—or something more sinister? For now, authorities continue their search for answers, while Cannes, the city of lights and cinema, shines on once more.
