Cannes experienced a major power outage on Saturday morning, just ahead of the Cannes Film Festival’s awards ceremony. The blackout lasted for about five hours, with electricity finally restored around 3:30 p.m. local time.

Festival Continues Despite Disruption

Despite the setback, a festival spokesperson confirmed that the closing ceremony would “proceed as planned.” Organizers switched the Palais des Festivals to an independent power source to keep the event on track, according to Variety.

Suspected Sabotage Behind Outage

Reports from Franceinfo suggested possible foul play. Authorities discovered two arson incidents overnight and found multiple power line pylons had been sawed off in the Alpes-Maritimes region.

Karin Topin-Condomitti, director of services at Cannes city hall, said officials were still determining if the blackout resulted from a malicious act. “We’ve seen the same media reports you have,” she said. “In my opinion, this should be part of an ongoing investigation, pending confirmation by the public prosecutor. We’re doing our best to manage the situation.”

Festival Screenings Disrupted

The power went out around 10:15 a.m., right as the press conference for Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind began. According to Screen, which first reported the issue, many screenings were interrupted. However, thanks to backup generators, the Palais maintained its power.

Hotels and Businesses Affected

The outage caused problems across Cannes. Power at the J.W. Marriott on the Croisette flickered on and off, forcing festivalgoers to search for internet access. Many shops either shut down or shifted to cash-only transactions. ATMs also failed, compounding the inconvenience.

Authorities Launch Investigation

A festival representative confirmed that restoration efforts were ongoing. “At this stage, the cause of the outage has not yet been identified,” they told Variety. They added that the Palais’s switch to independent power allowed the event to continue, though screenings at the Cineum were temporarily suspended.

By 2:20 p.m., electricity had still not returned to all areas. Cannes Mayor David Lisnard said that power company EDF was working to restore service by the afternoon. Franceinfo later cited France’s Ministry of the Interior, which linked the outage to “malicious acts” targeting the Saint-Cassien power plant.