Meet the man behind Orange Rooms nightclub in Southampton

Orange Rooms owner, Gary Benneton, has spent the last two decades helping to grow the city's music scene.

Today, Friday March 8, he adds another chapter to this story by helming the Electronic Dance Music Weekender with EngineRooms and Southampton Forward, a two-day weekender with headliners including Southampton-born House DJ Alan Fitzpatrick.

Hailing from Portsmouth, which Gary likes to keep quiet now that he’s laid roots in Southampton, he always knew his life would revolve around music.

A self-proclaimed Saints fan, he initially worked at TGI Fridays in Fareham before finding his passion for the bar scene during his time in Southampton. Pursuing a degree in Business Studies at Solent University, Gary's foray into the world of DJing began during his university years.

Gary said, “I was a promoter first, but then I started DJing. I got quite good, going out to Manchester and the big cities. I did pretty well. Although I think my degree did suffer a little bit for it, there were many late nights, lots of fun, and a bit of a crazy time.”

After completing his degree, Gary moved to Brighton, where he quickly made a name for himself by promoting clubs and working with renowned entities like the BBC and MTV.

His freelance work in the music industry provided him with a diverse set of experiences that would later contribute to his success as a nightclub owner.

Southampton called him back, and after spending some time between Brighton and Southampton, it was when Gary met his partner that he fully returned to the city for good. He got married, and he had two children.

Gary’s desire to combine his love of the music industry with his experiences from the dynamic Brighton nightlife scene led him to start buying venues.

“I always wanted my own nightclub, so I bought Orange Rooms.” Gary said, “It was more of a bar at first, but it grew into this. In the early days, we had a lot of footballers come in; that’s what probably led me to become a Saints fans- not a lot of my old Pompey friends were too impressed with that.”

Gary's owned Orange Rooms for coming up to 23 years, what started as a small bar has grown into a cornerstone of the city's nightlife.

Gary, having had various involvement in many clubs and venues over the years is best known for his events.

Gary said, “I’ve done boat parties, shows, and roughly 1000 events. We’ve seen some huge names, like Snoop Dogg and Central Cee headline.”

The dance weekender, taking place at EngineRooms, will see on Friday some of the UK’s hottest names in Drum and Bass including Friction and Harriet Jaxxon.

On Saturday, March 9, revellers will see the return to their home town of internationally acclaimed House DJs Alan Fitzpatrick and James Zabeila, with both nights showcasing some of the city’s best up-and-coming talent.

As well as his role as a club owner, Gary remained actively involved in music production, collaborating with singer-songwriters and nurturing local talent with his record company, High Tide Recordings.