A widespread power outage impacted southern France on Saturday, May 24, 2025, affecting approximately 160,000 homes, including the city of Cannes, where the annual Cannes Film Festival was being held. The outage occurred around 10 a.m. local time, prompting investigations into potential arson as the cause.
Despite the disruption, the Cannes Film Festival's closing ceremony proceeded as planned. Festival organizers confirmed that screenings continued using generators, and the Palais des Festivals, the main venue, switched to an independent power supply. This ensured that the closing ceremony, where the festival's top prizes were awarded, was not affected.
The Competition jury, headed by Juliette Binoche, distributed awards, including the Palme d'Or, Grand Prix, and Jury Prize. The power outage added an unexpected challenge to the festival's final day, but organizers successfully maintained the schedule, allowing the event to conclude smoothly. Jafar Panahi's “It Was Just an Accident” won the Palme d'Or.