It was hard to believe we were in Rignieu-le-Désert, in the Ain administrative department of eastern France. Around 10 pm, the small local road 77C – closed for the occasion – saw hundreds of young people pouring in from every corner of the local area and beyond. False eyelashes, lip gloss, crop tops and artificial nails for the girls. Tracksuits, shirts, Nike TN Requin sneakers and clean-shaven faces for the boys.

They had been hearing about the May Ball on Instagram for a month. €10 for admission. Too pricy? Maybe, but not this year. This time, the Amicale des Jeunes de Rignieu-le-Désert youth association (AJRD) went all out, turning the stadium into an open-air nightclub: three DJs at the decks, a real stage, boards made for people to take multiple shots at once, five security guards at the entrance and above all, a photographer and a QR code to retrieve the photos. Now, it's not just about being there, but about showing you're there. "Come before midnight, I'll make your dreams come true": to the sounds of Congolese singer Gims, a swarm of iPhones lit up the night the way lighters once did.

Wearing t-shirts emblazoned with "Rignieu-le-Désert," the young organizers were overwhelmed. Kevin Viollet, the association's 21-year-old president, was amazed: "We never thought there would be so many people." For weeks, the close-knit group had worked tirelessly. It was a success: about 1,200 tickets sold (double last year's), 16 kegs of lager, five of cherry beer and 35 bottles of vodka. "We broke all the records! And not even a single fight," said Andréa Mabilon, 20, an agricultural worker and the association's treasurer, who is dating Quentin Marthoud, also in the same field. Nothing like this had been seen in living memory in the town. Yet people around here are used to partying.

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