By Parrot Newspaper 
Sabotage Suspected as Cannes Festival Battles Blackout on Final Day
By Parrot Newspaper International Desk
CANNES, FRANCE – What should have been a glittering finale to the world’s most prestigious film festival took a dark turn—literally—on Saturday as suspected sabotage sparked a widespread power outage across the French Riviera, momentarily dimming the lights on Cannes’ grand stage.
At the break of dawn, an eerie stillness swept through Cannes and its surrounding towns, leaving about 160,000 homes without electricity. Restaurants fell silent, freezers thawed, and cinema screens went black. But behind the disruption was more than just technical failure—French authorities believe it was arson.
Authorities reported that the disruption began when an electricity substation in the village of Tanneron, which provides power to Cannes, was set ablaze. The situation worsened around 10:00 AM (08:00 GMT) when a second power cut struck after an electricity pylon near Villeneuve-Loubet was severely damaged.
Shops and restaurants in Cannes were among the hardest hit, with many struggling to stay open. Laurent Aboukrat, owner of the Jamin restaurant, expressed his frustration to AFP, noting that his fridges had been out since early morning. “Another hour and I’ll throw everything away,” he said, reflecting the strain felt across the city’s businesses.
Ice cream vendors joined the ranks of the frustrated, with several shops forced to close due to the lack of power. Australian producer Darren Vukasinovic described the atmosphere in Cannes as “a total slowdown, meltdown” — and a city that had “run out of croissants.”
Despite the chaos, festival organisers were quick to act, switching to private generators to ensure the show would go on. The closing ceremony, where French actress Juliette Binoche and her jury will announce the winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or, is expected to proceed as planned.
Cannes Festival Battles Blackout on Final Day
The attack, which has disrupted a world-renowned celebration of cinema, raises questions about the motives behind the sabotage. As the final awards ceremony looms, the shadow of this unprecedented power failure lingers over the festival’s closing moments