A rooftop party at one of the Cannes Film Festival’s most coveted venues descended into chaos after an apparent floor collapse sent guests fleeing in terror. Around 250 guests were gathered at La Terrasse by Albane, a temporary restaurant atop a hotel overlooking the Croisette seaside promenade, when a loud bang sent shockwaves through the crowd. “It felt as if the floor rumbled and moved, and the building,” one guest told the Daily Mail. “It was terrifying. Some people screamed.” The incident occurred during a Variety magazine welcome party honoring festival director Thierry Fremaux. Among those present were actresses Diane Kruger and Jordana Brewster, director Renny Harlin, Sony Pictures Classics chiefs Michael Barker and Tom Bernard, and Oscars President Lynette Howell Taylor. Some American guests reportedly feared a terrorist attack. The apparent cause was more mundane. One partygoer said the issue was overcrowding on a temporary wooden dais. Guests were moved to another part of the terrace, and the cocktails continued. Variety’s own report described the evening as “eventful.” Organizers had warned attendees in advance that entry was “first-come, first-served” and that capacity would be strictly enforced. La Terrasse, run by event organizer Albane Cleret and three-Michelin-starred chef Mauro Colagreco, is not open to non-residents.
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