Unplugged: How a Massive Power Outage Shook the Cannes Film Festival

A power outage in southeastern France caused a major disruption during the last day of the Cannes Film Festival. Around 160,000 homes in Cannes and nearby areas lost electricity on Saturday, according to the country’s electricity operator, RTE.

Authorities are looking into a possible arson attack as the cause of the outage. RTE reported that power was back for most homes by 3:00 PM local time. However, local businesses still felt the impact.

Restaurants and shops had a tough time. Laurent Aboukrat, who owns a restaurant in Cannes, said he was about to throw out spoiled food since his fridges had been down all morning. Another local, Australian producer Darren Vukasinovic, lamented the lack of available coffee and croissants, calling it “crisis territory.”

Despite the setback, festival organizers assured that the closing ceremony would continue as planned, thanks to backup power sources. French actress Juliette Binoche was expected to present the prestigious Palme d’Or, the festival’s highest honor.

This isn’t the first time power outages have made headlines. According to a recent study, disruptions like this can seriously affect local economies, especially during significant events. Experts suggest that as cities grow, investing in resilient power infrastructure becomes critical to avoid such incidents.

Overall, the power cut was a reminder of the vulnerabilities in our energy systems, sparking discussions on social media about the need for better technology to prevent such issues.



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