Carla Bruni silenced at Cannes

France's glamorous former first lady outraged by a party

The famous Croisette is where all the excitement is concentrated in Cannes. The promenade hosts luxury shops and hotels on one side and a string of beach restaurants on the other. Every night these are rented out for sometimes extravagant private parties and receptions – which can sometimes lead to complications.

Last Friday, France’s former First Lady Carla Bruni (who is also a well-known singer) was due to perform at the Chopard Trophy ceremony. The prestigious event was organized on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival to reward young film talents. Bruni, the wife of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, was to perform several songs. "But, when it was time to sing and when it was time to give the Chopard trophies, our neighbours decided to put on music so deafening that we couldn't even hear the names of the winners... We had prepared five or six songs. We were happy to play tonight. And we couldn't. Because the neighbour has decided to have a party. Without any respect for the artists next door. Without any respect for the Chopard trophies," she said on social networks.

The guilty party was the nearby Vega la Plage beach restaurant, which was closed by an administrative order for one night the following Tuesday. In the middle of the Cannes fortnight, this was seen as a hard blow for the beach, which has already been visited by Damso, Laurent Lafitte, Marina Foïs and Isabelle Huppert during this 78th edition.

This sanction from the City was "proportionate to the nuisances observed", as reported by Nice Matin.

(Michael Leahy. Source : Nice Matin. Photo: picture alliance / NurPhoto | Daniele Cifalé)