Events brings our city to life and brings communities together

Matt Sanger believes events are the lifeblood of every city. Fresh from producing this year’s Camp Bestival in Dorset, the Southampton Solent University lecturer and cultural entrepreneur Matt Sanger told the Daily Echo why he believes events make places better.

“Events make cities liveable. My motivation for doing most of what I do in Southampton is to try and make it a better place for everybody,” says Matt. “The cities that people want to visit have things going on. Events positively impact our culture and our economy and make people feel inspired to stay here and live here.”

Matt was born and grew up in Southampton, gaining a degree in Sport Science and Technology at the University of Southampton and going on to take a Master’s in Sport Management at the University of San Francisco.

It was his time in the US that got Matt interested in events. “I got involved in marketing for the university’s athletics department and helped to run several events,” he says. “I was busy juggling everyone from TV crews and cheerleaders to concessions and food and drink outlets. I gained a lot of hands-on experience and I really enjoyed it.”

On his return to the UK, Matt decided to volunteer for local events. One of these was the third annual Bestival organised by DJ Rob da Bank on the Isle of Wight in 2006. “After that, I knew I wanted to do music festivals,” says Matt.

This opened the door to other opportunities, including bringing Common People to the city, a two-day music festival on Southampton Common with several amazing acts that are now household names. “I think that was my proudest moment,” says Matt, “because it showcased what was possible in the city.” He also took Camp Bestival, ‘little sister’ to Bestival, to venues across the South, including a pop-up at Southampton Art Gallery.

“A lot of what I do is about making connections and building relationships,” says Matt, who worked closely with key names on the city’s cultural scene, including bar and club owner Gary Bennetton. “We put on smaller events like Pop Factory, inspired by Andy Warhol, where one of the acts was Kae Tempest – so I can actually claim I brought them into Southampton. It was a very intimate event. You’ll hear a lot of people say they were there that night, but really there were only about 30 people in the audience.”

Matt’s next move was to join Southampton Solent University, where he now lectures in business management. “I started the events programme, which closed in 2023,” he explains, “but the university is looking to bring it back for next year. We want to work with multiple departments in the university and give students real-life opportunities so they can build experience. If you want to work in events, it’s one thing you can’t get enough of.”

The extensive list of events Matt has brought to the city includes this year’s Multi Stories art installation at West Quay, street food festival Summer Feastival in the unlikely location of Crosshouse Road car park and this year’s Bedford Place festival, which brought thousands of visitors to the city.

He also produces the hugely popular Southampton Mela, an immersion in South Asian arts and music that attracts around 30,000 people a year. “The Mela is an absolute gem in city’s events calendar,” he says. “It’s an incredible day of performances and people coming together – a fantastic show to work on and amazing people to work with.”

Bringing people together is central to Matt’s approach to event production. “I’m really open to having conversations with people about new ideas. My approach is not one of telling people what to do. I would rather get people involved and feeling like they are part of it.”

Matt’s flair for event production, combined with his networking abilities, makes him an ideal cultural ambassador for Southampton and he’s keen to share his passion. “I really want the city and its people to realise how powerful events can be,” he says. “They’re great for our economy and our wellbeing. Cities should be alive and full of activity. There’s a lot of talented people in the city and we want a thriving events scene to keep them here.”