Dior, Chanel & Prada Dazzle at Cannes 2025 Finale Despite Citywide Blackout

Dior, Chanel & Prada Dazzle at Cannes 2025 Finale, and despite the power may have gone out, but the stars didn’t stop shining. As Cannes faced a citywide power outage that paralyzed restaurants, shops, and even Wi-Fi, the 78th Cannes Film Festival found its own light  quite literally  in the glow of haute couture and red carpet glam.

At the heart of the chaos, the Palais des Festivals stood tall and radiant, powered by generators, ensuring the closing ceremony went on without a hitch. In a bold reminder that “the show must go on,” festival organizers confirmed, “The Palais des Festivals has switched to an independent power supply, allowing all scheduled events and screenings, including the closing ceremony, to proceed under normal conditions.”

But outside the Palais? It was a scene right out of a film  cafes accepting only cash, boutiques shuttered, and guests navigating the French Riviera with no phone signal. Even at the luxury Hôtel Martinez, stylists prepped celebrities using phone flashlights as makeshift beauty lights. The Cannes spirit, however, proved unbreakable.

Stars Who Lit Up the Dark

Juliette Binoche, jury president, broke away from her Dior streak with a statement-making custom Prada look  a midnight-blue beaded skirt paired with a cropped bomber jacket from the Re-Nylon collection, finished off with Chopard hoops and a punchy white tee. She zhuzhed up her sleeves like a true rebel with a cause or in this case, couture.

Halle Berry made waves in Dior Spring 2025 Couture, donning a striking lace column gown featuring gray wool curlers embroidered into the sleeves an edgy contrast to her radiant elegance. Fellow Dior muses included Alba Rohrwacher, twirling in a bubblegum pink pouf skirt, and Leila Slimani in intricate gray and gold lace. Together, they made Dior’s presence on the jury red carpet a masterclass in modern femininity.

Jeremy Strong, always suave, closed out his Cannes chapter in a custom smoky blue tuxedo by Lanvin’s Peter Copping — a sleek nod to the brand’s Fall 2025 runway. Style met strategy as Strong remained faithful to his Loro Piana vibe throughout the festival but knew when to switch gears.

Then came the showstoppers.

Elle Fanning floated onto the carpet in a dream-like pale blue Chanel silk crepe gown, topped with a sweeping embroidered tulle skirt. The piece took over 400 hours to complete, anchored by a black velvet bow and Cartier jewels. It was ethereal  and unmistakably Chanel.

Cate Blanchett, there to present the Palme d’Or, was breathtaking in custom Louis Vuitton and high jewellery that turned heads, even in the dimmed lights of Cannes. A true fashion chameleon, she owned the red carpet with signature poise and purpose.

Dior–Chanel-&-Prada-Dazzle-at-Cannes-2025-Finale

Winners Amid the Wonder

The glamour wasn’t just skin-deep. At the core of the evening were stories that moved hearts and sparked conversation.

The Palme d’Or was awarded to Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi for “It Was Just An Accident,” a stirring exploration of fate, family, and forgiveness. Marking his comeback after years of political turmoil, the film’s quiet intensity mirrored the emotional weight of his real-life journey.

The Grand Prize went to Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” starring Elle Fanning, Stellan Skarsgård, and Renate Reinsve, offering a poignant look at fame, family, and fading legacies.

In a rare tie, the Jury Prize honored both Oliver Laxe’s desert rave apocalypse and Mascha Schilinski’s time-spanning farm-based female narrative “The Sound of Falling.”

An Ending Worthy of the Screen

Even without power, Cannes proved once again that cinema like fashion  thrives on resilience, imagination, and spectacle. Whether draped in Dior or striding through darkness with flashlights, the stars didn’t just attend the closing ceremony  they owned it.

Because at Cannes, glamour doesn’t wait for the lights to come back on.