Le 23 février 2025, le Macumba d’Englos, dernier témoin d’un réseau mythique de discothèques des années 80, a fermé ses portes. Ce lieu emblématique, au cœur de la scène nocturne de l’époque, a vu défiler des générations de danseurs. Mais c’est surtout sa clientèle dite sénior, fidèle aux sessions ballroom du dimanche après-midi, qui ressent la fin de ce chapitre comme un vide difficile à combler.


A travers ce reportage, j’ai cherché à capturer l’ambivalence du temps qui passe. Les visages sont marqués par les années, mais subsiste ce désir irrépressible de revivre, de prolonger l’instant. «Never Get Old» comme disait Bowie. Dans ces dernières sessions “ballroom”, il y a cette volonté de suspendre l’éphémère. De danser encore un peu, de séduire, d’ouvrir une dernière parenthèse avant la fin.


Ce reportage raconte l’attachement à un lieu, à une époque, mais aussi à la vie elle-même, dans sa capacité à offrir encore de la joie et de l’évasion, même lorsque le temps est compté.


Le Macumba était bien plus qu’une simple discothèque. C’était les années disco, les années 80, la boule à facettes.


C’était la jeunesse et l’insouciance pour ses clients.


On February 23, 2025, the Macumba d’Englos, the last witness of a legendary network of nightclubs from the 80s, closed its doors. This emblematic place, at the heart of the night scene of the time, has seen generations of dancers pass through. But it is above all its so-called senior clientele, loyal to the Sunday afternoon ballroom sessions, who feel the end of this chapter as a void that is difficult to fill.


Through this report, I sought to capture the ambivalence of time passing. The faces are marked by the years, but there remains this irrepressible desire to relive, to prolong the moment. “Never Get Old” as Bowie said. In these last “ballroom” sessions, there is this desire to suspend the ephemeral. To dance a little more, to seduce, to open a last parenthesis before the end.


This report tells the story of the attachment to a place, to a time, but also to life itself, in its capacity to offer still joy and escape, even when time is short.


Macumba was much more than just a nightclub. It was the disco years, the 80s, the mirror ball.


It was youth and carefree for its customers.


A regular customer of Macumba standing at the entrance of the nightclub. She draws a heart with her arms. This customer is sad about the closing of this nightclub, not knowing where to go next.
Macumba in the Englos shopping area near Lille, the last establishment of this chain of nightclubs created in 1973, will close its doors on February 23. Sundays from 3 p.m., it’s
An elderly couple is dancing on the dance floor. Photograph by Laurent Mayeux / Collectif DR.
France, Lomme, 2025-2-09. An elderly couple dances while embracing on a nightclub dance floor. Photograph by Laurent Mayeux / Collectif DR.
The Macumba in the Englos shopping area near Lille, the last establishment of this chain of nightclubs created in 1973 will close its doors on February 23. On Sundays from 3 p.m., it’s ballroom.
Female customers sitting near the central bar of Macumba, chatting together. Macumba in the Englos shopping area near Lille, the last establishment of this chain of nightclubs created in 1973, will close its doors on February 23.
France, Englos, 2025-2-13. A couple is sitting at a table drinking a drink. The middle-aged redhead woman is putting on makeup. Photograph by Laurent Mayeux / Collectif DR.
France, Englos, 2025-2-09. A rather elderly couple stands embracing in front of the dance floor. Photograph by Laurent Mayeux / Collectif DR.
France, Englos, 2025-2-09. An elderly lady stands watching the customers dancing on the dance floor. Photograph by Laurent Mayeux / Collectif DR.
France, Englos, 2025-2-09. Glasses, fan, handkerchief, glass and entrance ticket placed on a table at Macumba with the famous logo of this nightclub chain. Photograph by Laurent Mayeux / Collectif DR.
France, Englos, 2025-2-09. Lunettes, eventail, mouchoi
France, Lille Englos, 2025-2-13. Portrait of Henri Souque, co-creator of the Macumba nightclub network. Photograph by Laurent Mayeux / Collectif DR.
France, Englos, 2025-2-09. A rather older customer is chatting with a younger person. Photograph by Laurent Mayeux / Collectif DR.
France, Englos, 2025-2-13. At the Macumba discotheque, during a ballroom session reserved for seniors. Photograph by Laurent Mayeux / Collectif DR.
France, Englos, 2025-2-09. Portrait of a regular client of the ballroom sessions at Macumba. Photograph by Laurent Mayeux / Collectif DR.
France, Englos, 2025-2-09. Portrait d’une cliente reguliere des sessions ballroom au Macumba.
France, Englos, 2025-2-09. A Macumba client at a ballroom session reserved for older clients sits at a table and searches for an object in her bag. Photograph by Laurent Mayeux / Collectif DR.
France, Englos, 2025-2-13. At the Macumba disco. A group of seniors are having fun during a ballroom session reserved for seniors. Photograph by Laurent Mayeux / Collectif DR.
France, Englos, 2025-2-09. Portrait of a regular customer at Macumba. He regularly comes to the “ballroom” sessions reserved for older customers. Photograph by Laurent Mayeux / Collectif DR.
Maddy is a waitress at the Macumba bar. As the nightclub is about to close, she will find herself unemployed. She has worked here for 33 years. “With the closing of Macumba, it’s the end of the night for me.”
France, Englos, 2025-2-13. At the Macumba discotheque. Screen announcing the last weekend before final closure. Photograph by Laurent Mayeux / Collectif DR.
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