The 78th Cannes Film Festival is coming to a close, but not without a bit of drama. On the final day of the festival, a sudden power outage hit the southern French city, causing traffic disruptions and forcing organizers to temporarily halt proceedings. The festival’s prestigious awards ceremony was scheduled to take place, but the power outage threw a wrench into the plans.
According to reports, around 160,000 homes in the Alpes-Maritimes region were affected by the power cut, which occurred after a high-voltage line came down. The power grid was already weakened by a fire at a nearby substation the night before. The festival’s organizers confirmed that the power outage had impacted the morning’s activities, but assured that all scheduled events, including the closing ceremony, would go ahead as planned.
In a statement, the organizers said, “All planned events and screenings, including the closing ceremony, will take place as scheduled and under normal conditions.” They added that the cause of the outage was still unknown and that restoration efforts were underway. The city’s traffic lights were out, causing congestion in the center, and many shops and restaurants were forced to close. Local food shops were only accepting cash payments, and train services were disrupted. Authorities urged residents to be cautious while traveling and to expect delays.
Despite the chaos, the show must go on, and the festival’s attendees, including celebrities like Alia Bhatt, were determined to make the most of the final day. The power outage may have been a minor hiccup, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of the festival-goers, who were eager to celebrate the best of cinema. As the festival comes to a close, all eyes are on the winners of the prestigious awards, and the power outage is just a minor footnote in the grand scheme of things.