CANS, France

A large power outage struck southeastern France on Saturday, causing significant disruptions to traffic and interrupting events at the Cannes Film Festival.

About 160,000 homes in the Alpes-Maritimes region were left without electricity after high-voltage lines collapsed that morning, according to power network operator RTE.

The Cannes Film Festival’s organizers confirmed that the blackout had an impact on early activities, noting that the Palais des Festivals, the event’s main venue, switched to a backup power source.

“All planned events and screenings, including the closing ceremony, will continue as scheduled and under normal conditions,” they stated. “The cause of the outage remains unknown at this time, but recovery efforts are in progress.”

However, screenings at Cineum, one of the festival’s secondary venues, were temporarily put on hold.

Some traffic lights in Cannes and neighboring areas went dark after 10 AM, resulting in traffic jams and inconvenience in the city center. Most shops along the main street were closed, and local food vendors were accepting cash only. Additionally, the train service in Cannes was somewhat chaotic.

Authorities are working to restore power and have advised residents to stay alert while traveling.