The outage took place in the Alpes-Maritimes area, hitting local shops and restaurants hard. Many struggled to maintain operations, with local restaurateur Laurent Aboukrat expressing frustration over spoiled food, stating, "Another hour and I'll throw everything away." Meanwhile, Australian producer Darren Vukasinovic described the situation as "crisis territory," noting that essentials like coffee and croissants were in short supply.
As the incident unfolded, police confirmed they were examining the potential for a deliberate fire at a power substation, assessing how the outage occurred. The power was reportedly restored by 3:00 PM local time (11:00 GMT). The festival continued, with French actress Juliette Binoche and her jury preparing to announce the winner of the coveted Palme d'Or award, the festival's highest honor, despite the technical challenges posed by the unforeseen blackout.
As the incident unfolded, police confirmed they were examining the potential for a deliberate fire at a power substation, assessing how the outage occurred. The power was reportedly restored by 3:00 PM local time (11:00 GMT). The festival continued, with French actress Juliette Binoche and her jury preparing to announce the winner of the coveted Palme d'Or award, the festival's highest honor, despite the technical challenges posed by the unforeseen blackout.
