rise @ bluebird is our Acomb evening arts venue.
The space regularly plays host to live music, spoken word, art exhibitions, theatre, comedy, family- friendly nights and much more.
Rise aims to be a vibrant and independently-run creative hub, driven by love and support from the local community - and an ardent sense of adventure.
Pop down and check us out - we’re looking forward to you helping shape this place just as much as we do.
Gallery
What's on
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Songs Without Borders: Adderstone & Soundsphere
Full folk immersion in joyous harmonies and leftfield stories from Soundsphere and Adderstone, to fire up your blood on a November night. Adderstone - music-threaded storytelling.
Hope and inspiration come from strange places, these days. Adderstone will fire up your blood with their unique blend of acappella and alt-folk songs telling the stories of ancient crones and mysterious ponds, revolutionaries and radical medieval nuns!
"Beautiful and powerful"; "Harmonies like butter"; "Your blend of song and spoken word make for such rich experience." Soundsphere - Three Voices ~ One Unique Sound.
"Each song a jewel ~ creative, passionate, beautifully sung". From the medieval to the contemporary, let Soundsphere take you on a fabulous journey with songs from around the world and through the ages, all arranged with stunning three part harmony and percussion. - 23/11/2025
17:30
Pop-up Restaurant
£37.00
Ladoo Fusion Kitchen
The next dine-in with LFK is here - and this time we are inviting you on a street food journey. Think of it as a train journey through Mumbai but instead of stations, you're stopping at seven unforgettable street food flavours. This event has now sold out - keep an eye out for the next adventure, coming in December.....
- 24/11/2025
Doors 7:30
Live Music
£20 adv
Lou Barlow
Forever in our hearts and forever at the heart of things, Lou Barlow is a founding member of Deep Wound, Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh and The Folk Implosion. After a lifetime of creativity under various enticingly-named handles, including Sentridoh, Barlow now records under his own name. The directness of using 'Lou Barlow' rather than a recording alias results in similarly direct songwriting and, in particular, a directness and strength in the author's voice - one of the loveliest instruments in the independent music canon.
- 27/11/2025
5pm - 9pm
Family Friendly Activities
Free
Christmas Makers' Fair
The first of our two Christmas shopping evenings this year. Expect ceramics, plants, jewellery, print makers - all to assist with your Christmas shopping! Christmas hot chocolate as standard!
- 29/11/2025
18:00:00
DJ Nights
Free
Dusko!
Join us for Dusko — a pilot early-nighter of house music through the decades in a chilled-out café setting. These new nights will bring talented DJs to transport you right back to the old-skool clubbing scene - with classic uplifters, retro anthems and dirty beats. Pop down after work, grab a beer, catch up with mates and - when the music takes over - get yourselves on the dance floor. All with the promise of a full eight-hours of beauty sleep.* *any after-party activity is entirely at your own risk.
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Ellie Gowers
Ellie Gowers is a UK singer-songwriter blending contemporary acoustic sounds with the storytelling traditions of folk. Her 2022 debut album Dwelling by the Weir earned critical acclaim for its lyrical depth and ecological themes, praised by The Guardian and TradFolk. In 2024, her new EP - You The Passenger, received national airplay on BBC Radio 2, 6 Music, and the RADMAC show. With influences ranging from MIPSO to Jeff Buckley, her sound explores themes of distance, longing, and identity. An extended version of the EP arrives in autumn 2025, followed by a UK headline tour in November.
Doors 7:30pm - Music 8pm
“Full of delicacy, precision and gentle delight” The Guardian -- “Absolutely beautiful” Zoe Ball BBC Radio 2 -- “Really impressive” Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2 -
Winter Botanicals Lino Printing
NOW SOLD OUT
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Bauble Painting Workshop
Join us for our very festive bauble painting workshop with Lucy Hook - an award winning York artist. No serious painting skills needed, just come along and create your own Christmas heirloom for your tree. We will of course be serving our own Christmas masterpiece - frangipane mince pies! A really lovely evening to get you in the Christmas spirit.
- 05/12/2025
18:30 - 23:00
DJ Nights
Free
Resurrection - Christmas special
Playing the best Indie tunes from the 80's & 90's with a few Christmas Indie covers thrown in..
- 06/12/2025
19:00 - 23:00
DJ Nights
Free entry
Into the Groove Christmas Special
It might be too warm for your Christmas jumper as we expect that you will be dancing and singing at the top of your voices - Merry Christmas Everyone! All the best, classic Christmas tunes for your pleasure!
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Bella Gaffney and Kate Griffin
Award-winning folk artists Bella Gaffney (The Magpies) and Kate Griffin (Mishra) join forces for an evening of spellbinding folk music. Both celebrated for their songwriting and musicianship, they’ll each perform solo sets before coming together for a collaboration brimming with driving rhythms, rich harmonies and the distinctive sound of the banjo at its heart.
2016 Celtic Connections Danny Kyle Award winner Bella Gaffney writes folk inspired songs which she performs along with her own original arrangements of traditional pieces. 2023 saw the release of Bella’s new album ‘Reflections’ which is inspired by connections made over the lockdown period. Her latest single, ‘Blood in the Earth’, a duet with Leesa Gentz (Hussy Hicks) was released in this year to great acclaim along with airplay on BBC radio 2. Bella is also part of sought after folk band The Magpies ('effervescent' The Sunday Times).
'Great singer, great guitarist, really interesting songwriter'
Mike Harding
Emerging on the UK folk and world scene, Kate Griffin is a clawhammer banjo player, singer and composer, fusing influences from the British Isles, America and India. Described as “one of the top banjo players in the country” by virtuoso Dan Walsh, her innovative banjo style combines both traditional UK and American folk, whilst also placing the banjo in a contemporary setting. Kate has performed in multiple bands over the last 7 years, recently creating global folk collective Mishra with musical partner Ford Collier, where Indian classical music strongly infects her compositions, fusing multiple styles at the root of a songs development. In her solo career she launched the Wayside Tales project in 2018, which transformed soon to be forgotten stories from her childhood home into reflective compositions, culminating with a performance and EP. Whether focusing locally or globally, Kate strives to forge connections between musical genres, people or generations through her music. - 11/12/2025
5pm - 9pm
Family Friendly Activities
Free
Christmas Makers' Fair number two!
This Makers' Fair will host a whole new group of local and talented makers' for your shopping needs, for friends, or a gift to self! Please make sure you try our amazing frangipane mince pies...
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Baps and Buns Burlesque
We are thrilled to announce that York’s Burlesque Queen, Freida Nipples, is back at Rise this September.
Freida is an internationally award-winning burlesque artiste who will seduce you with astounding aesthetics and enthral you with her captivating stage presence.
Alongside her will be a selection of sensational cabaret artists. From drag queens to acrobats, you always know you will be in for a fun night at Freida’s shows which have been sell-out successes across York for the past six years, at venues such as York Theatre Royal, The Basement, Impossible and more.
So - prepare yourselves for an evening of debauchery & glamour in Acomb. The big question is, are you ready for it?!
Tickets include a welcome drink on arrival. (Non-alcoholic option available).
- 14/12/2025
15:00:00
Family Friendly Activities
Free
BYO Vinyl
Bring your own vinyl afternoon - pop your name down for a half hour slot - let's make this one a Christmas special??
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CHRISTMAS PRESENCE
Weird and Wonderful Stories for the Festive Season with Lara McClure.
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Art Preview: 'This Rugged Earth' by Donna Maria Taylor
Join us to be among the first to see the new art exhibition by Donna Maria Taylor. Donna is an award winning artist, designer and tutor based in York. With a background in theatre set / costume design & production and a flair for coaching in educational and corporate settings, Donna is a founding member of South Bank Studios in the Bishopthorpe Road. She exhibits regularly - both independently and as a part of York Open Studios and North Yorkshire Open Studios.
Nibbles will be served! -
John Osborne Presents: There Will Be Tinsel
With a stage covered in tinsel and Christmas lights, this is the perfect show for nights out in December with festive poems and stories that have proved popular at Christmas shows across the country. Step into the magic of the season with theatre-maker and Radio 4 regular John Osborne.
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Yuletide Tales with Hoglets childrfens theatre.
A magical family storytelling experience, with dancing actic foxes, cheeky robins and enchanted polar bears, all under the glittering lights.
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Edwina Hayes
Doors 7:30pm - Music 8pm
One of the finest female singer/songwriters this country has produced in years. Edwina brings together English folk, Americana and the rich Northern singer/songwriter tradition to create a sound that’s truly her own.
Highly accomplished she’s toured with such notable performers as Jools Holland, Van Morrison, Nanci Griffith and Loudon Wainwright III to name just a few.
Edwina numbers Michael Parkinson and Mike Harding among her fans and the title track of her album Pour Me A Drink was covered by Nanci Griffith who calls her 'the sweetest voice in England'.
Her cover of the Randy Newman song Feels Like Home was featured in the Cameron Diaz film My Sister's Keeper and has since had over twenty million plays on Spotify and over fifty million plays on You Tube.
Edwina's 4th album Ruby Rose was released in 2022.
'The sweetest voice in England. A wonderful young woman, so gifted and full of song.' Nanci Griffith
'Haunting, honeyed, solo songwriter.' The Guardian - 04/01/2026
3-9pm
Family Friendly Activities
Free
BYO Vinyl
A belated NYE celebration with this one?! Old classics and party tunes please! If you would like to join us, but are not sure about using the decs - there is always a friendly face to show you how.
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Under the Lamp Post
Step into the darkly comic world of Under The Lamp Post, a captivating storytelling show for grown-ups from the award-winning Ilaria Passeri. Prepare for a unique journey sparked by a gift bag of ashes and fuelled by the eccentricity of a unique family. Ilaria masterfully blends poignant reflection with sharp wit, finding humour in unexpected places.
Imagine navigating grief with puppets, a particular kind of pickled onion, and the sort of inappropriate fancy dress that becomes a cherished and weirdly unforgettable memory.
There will be sad tears, and tears of laughter.
Produced by sitcom veteran Michel Jacob, his third show with Ilaria, Under The Lamp Post promises an evening of exceptional storytelling from an award-winning talent (Best Spoken Word, Manchester Fringe). Explore life, death, and the beautifully absurd in-between.
Critics agree:
'Twisting, uplifting, and constantly funny…A show that is hard to forget’ (British Theatre Guide)
‘Beautiful, funny and touching’ (Canal Street Media)
"Masterful storytelling' (Lost in Theatre Land ) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆️️️️️
'Ilaria’s stories are beyond exciting!' (The Lowry Theatre) -
Please Please You & Brudenell Presents Jeffrey Martin
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- 30/01/2026
7pm-11pm
DJ Nights
Free
Flares - get down tonight!
A celebration of all things 70's - disco and funk, glam rock, punk, new wave and pop - definitely a night for dancing, platforms and flares!
- 07/02/2026
Pop-up Restaurant
Ladoo Fusion Kitchen Valentines Special
More details to follow - save the date!
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Cole Stacey
“A magnificent sound” – Patrick Kielty, BBC Radio 5 Live
“Breathtaking, that incredible voice” – TradFolk
“He is incredible” – Times Radio
Cole Stacey is a visceral and lyrical songwriter, singer and musician who has roamed the highest diverse echelons of British folk, 80s pop, spoken word and ambient electronics. From The Royal Albert Hall to The Westfalenhalle Arena, from 700-year-old castles in Gdansk to Glastonbury Festival. In Feb 2025 he released his debut album Postcards From Lost Places which immediately entered the UK Album Charts at Number 57 and The Official Folk Charts at Number 20. At its heart is a symbiosis of ‘lost’ places and forgotten words, stretching as far back as the 13th century, paired with Cole’s distinctive lyrical songwriting and remarkable field recordings.
He played to sell-out audiences in the album launch UK Tour and in between European tours performing with Midge Ure and alt-folk duo India Electric Company he’ll be continuing his sharing concerts in some truly unique spaces into 2026 with an album already being talked about as one of the best of the year. Bringing together his years of experience on stage, Cole Stacey’s deeply personal solo shows are rooted in storytelling, directed by a love of popular song and have connection with people and places are their heart -
Luke Wright: Later Life Letter
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More events coming soon!