If time travel were possible, many would set the dial to Studio 54, the glittering epicentre of disco’s golden age. But in 2025, no time machine is needed, just a ticket to the Philharmonie de Paris, where Disco: I’m Coming Out offers a deep dive into the genre’s history and cultural influence.
Long before the flashing lights and celebrity-packed dance floors of Studio 54, disco thrived in underground clubs, shaped by the energy and creativity of Black, Latino, and LGBTQ+ communities in the US. Emerging from soul, funk, and gospel, it was more than just a genre. It was a movement, pulsing from dance floors where joy, resistance, and self-expression came alive.
From 14 February to 17 August 2025, the Philharmonie de Paris invites visitors to experience the world of disco firsthand. The exhibition showcases an extensive collection of audiovisual archives, photographs, instruments, and costumes, accompanied by a specially curated soundtrack by Dimitri from Paris, renowned for his unique blend of disco, funk, and house music. Visitors can also expect a spotlight on the genre’s most influential figures, from Chic and Sylvester to Giorgio Moroder, Cerrone, Jacques Morali, Diana Ross, Donna Summer, and Grace Jones, artists whose music defined an era and continues to shape dance floors today.
More than a musical style, disco served as a unifying force, transcending social barriers and bringing people together. It wasn’t just about the music. Disco shaped fashion with its sequined excess, transformed nightlife into an inclusive space and laid the groundwork for modern dance music genres like house and electronic. The exhibition explores disco’s role as both a party and a protest, showing how its influence still echoes on today’s dance floors.
Curators Marion Challier and Jean-Yves Leloup, with scientific advisor Patrick Thévenin, collaborated with designers Stéphane Villard of Studio GGSV, Laure Dezeuze of Studio Bloomer and Agnès Dahan Studio for graphic design to bring the exhibition to life. The exhibition also includes work from the artistic duo Pierre et Gilles, whose signature aesthetic, often described as a fusion of baroque opera and gaudy disco, adds another layer of visual spectacle.
Beyond the exhibition, the Philharmonie de Paris will host a series of concerts and dance events, offering visitors the chance to experience disco beyond its archival past. Rather than just a showcase, the exhibition considers disco’s lasting influence on music, fashion and culture.
