Northern Irish experimental folk songwriter and producer Joshua Burnside is something of a regional anomaly. With a brooding, powerful sound echoing artists of places afar and time long gone, his enthralling craft defies local comparison in striving towards an aesthetic as much as visual as it is sonic. Balanced with a diverse palette of sounds, Burnside deftly blends alt-folk and elements of the Irish folk song tradition with South American rhythms and Eastern European influences, whilst introducing synthetic and found-sounds, synths loops and crunching beats to create a stormy world that shifts and swirls perspective like a lingering lucid dream.

Hailing from the Scottish highlands, Rachel Sermanni is an enchanting singer-songwriter, whose performance and lyrics draw from a deep well of mysticism, dreams, nature and the simple-complex experience of being human. A contemporary folk musician influenced by a wealth of genres including jazz, rock, old-time and traditional, go check out the latest album Dreamer Awake, then get you ticket and be prepared for another special evening at The Wight Bear Live. An album that explores womanhood, romantic pain and loss, and finds lasting beauty.MOJO Sterling collection of songs. - CLASH Peace, Love & Live Music The Wight Bear Crew "the glass ain't always empty"

A Bear Walks Into A Bar... Comedy Night at The Wight Bear Headline Act - Ian Smith Hosted By - Joe Fortis Support Acts - TBC Ian Smith... As seen on Live at the Apollo Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Show Nominee 2023 Ian Smith is a multi-award winning comedian, actor and writer set to appear on the forthcoming series ofLive at the Apollo. Hes a regular on BBC Radio 4sThe News Quiz,which he guest hosted this year - and has appeared onThe Now Show, Just A Minute, The Ultimate Choice, One Person Found This Helpfulas well as his own Radio 4 stand-up series,Ian Smith is Stressed. He been seen onThe Stand Up Sketch Show(ITV),Comedy Central LiveandSweat the Small Stuff(BBC3). He is the co-host of theNorthern Newspodcast, alongside Amy Gledhill - featured in The Guardians best podcasts of 2023 so far. Ians 2023 Edinburgh Fringe showCrushingwas nominated for theEdinburgh Comedy Award, shortlisted for the(ISH) Edinburgh Comedy Award, nominated for aChortle Awardand runner-up inNext Up's Biggest Award in Comedy.His sold out run transferred to Soho Theatre, where its run was extended and followed by a UK tour and run atNew Zealand Comedy Festival. His previous Fringe shows have received critical acclaim, anAmused Moose Comedy Award, ThreeWeeks Editors Awardand seen him invited to perform as part ofBest of the Edinburgh Festat Adelaide and Melbourne Comedy Festivals. In 2015 he was also part of the hugely successful, multi-award winning Fringe show,Richard Gadd Waiting for Gaddot. Ian is also a talented actor starting off as a lead in BBC2 sitcomPopatron. He has gone on to tar alongside Katherine Parkinson in Sky comedyOfficially Specialand have a leading role in BBC1 drama,The Ark- as well as a number of supporting roles includingThe Emily Atack Show, Siblings, Pls Likeand BBC dramaThe Syndicate. Ian has written onThe News Quiz, The Now Show, Newsjack(BBC Radio 4),Have I Got News For You(BBC1) and for various other comedians (including onMock the Week). In 2022 he directed Amy Gledhill's Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer nominated show,The Girl Before The Girl You Marry.He currently has a sitcom script in development. One of the best you will see The Mirror Excellent, pure stand-up performed by a comedian at the top of their game QR Stories flow seamlessly from Ians brilliant mind. His tales are relatable, plentiful and downright hilarious Edinburgh Festivals Sheer brilliance .5 Chortle There are few fringe shows as purely funny as this The Guardian An effortlessly brilliant stand-up The Scotsman An outstanding and stressed-out hour of stand-up Fest Turns incredulity into an art form, confirming his status as the undisputed sultan of nerve-shredding stress Rolling Stone Doors Open 7pm Evening Starts 8pm Venue Curfew 10.30pm All tickets are for unreserved seating if you require specific seating please drop us a message

A Bear Walks Into A Bar... Comedy Night at The Wight Bear Headline Act - Matt Richardson Hosted By - Joe Fortis Support Acts - TBC Matt Richardson... Having started stand-up in 2009 at 18 years old, Matt became one of the youngest comedians on the circuit and soon made it through to the finals of two national stand-up competitions the prestigious So You Think Youre Funny and the Chortle Student Comedy Award as well as coming runner up in the Reading Comedy Festival New Act of the Year and winning the Newbury and Bath Comedy Festival new act competitions all while still in his teens. He quickly established himself in all of the major comedy club chains in the UK and has gigged overseas on countless occasions. Jump forward to 2020 and Matt is a seasoned TV host, having presented shows such asThe Hangover Games(E4) andThe Red Bull Soapbox Race(Dave),Celebrity Haunted MansionandCelebrity Haunted Hotel(W) alongside Christine Lampard, and helming the spin off shows for both alone. He has also hosted two different ITV2 Documentaries Pampered Pooches: HollywoodandMeet The Family Guys, both filmed in LA, and helmedJust Tattoo Of Us: The Aftermathfor MTV. His first ever presenting gig was hostingThe Xtra Factor(ITV2) in 2013 alongside Caroline Flack at the age of 22. He was the host ofVirgin Radios Drive Time Showfor three years before leaving to focus on his true passion of comedy. He is the co-host of the hit comedy podcastWhen No Ones Watching, with Matt Willis of Busted. They have had a fantastic selection of guests including; Keith Lemon, Tom Fletcher, Darren Harriott, Emma Willis, and Helen Bauer. As well as all the presenting he has appeared on countless other TV shows, includingComedy Game Night, Roast Battle&Drunk History(Comedy Central),Nevermind The Buzzcocks(BBC2),Celebrity Juice, CelebAbility, The Stand Up Sketch Showseries 2 & 3, Hey Tracey, The Chase: Celebrity Christmas Special, The Chris Ramsey Show, Top Gear: Extra Gear, Love Island: Aftersun(ITV2), and pretty much any spin-off show you can name In 2013 Matt headed out on his first ever award-winning tour Hometown Hero in 2013. It was to 54 dates into spring 2014. After a break from touring he took a brand new show to Edinburgh in 2017 called Slash which gained several 5 star reviews and went onto tour for 60 dates. In 2024 Matt will be heading back off on tour around the UK with his new show Brash. Doors Open 7pm Evening Starts 8pm Venue Curfew 10.30pm All tickets are for unreserved seating if you require specific seating please drop us a message

A Bear Walks Into A Bar... Comedy Night at The Wight Bear Headline Act - Felicity Ward Hosted By - Joe Fortis Support Acts - TBC Felicity Ward... Known for her iconic screen roles, TV appearances and her international, multi-award winning live stand-up comedy tours, Felicitys no-filter, authentic and hilarious attitude to life has made her a darling of critics and fans alike. Forging a career in both Australia and the UK, Felicity can be seen across the world, this October, when she stars in the lead role of Hannah Howard, in the Australian premiere of The Office on Amazon Prime. You can currently see her in Taika Waititis TV adaptation of Time Bandits for Apple TV, following on from her breakout performance in 2021s ABC TVs drama, Wakefield. In Australia, Felicity has appeared on popular TV shows such as Thank God You're Here, Have You Been Paying Attention? Spicks and Specks, and The Ronnie Johns Half Hour. In the UK, she has been on Live at the Apollo and is a regular face on shows such as Roast Battle, The Stand-Up Sketch Show, The Mash Report, Russell Howards Good News, Alan Davis; As Yet Untitled, The John Bishop Show, and Mock the Week. In 2015, Felicity was handpicked by the BBC for her own Live From The BBC special - the only Australian selected. In feature film, she appeared in the comedies, Any Questions For Ben? and The Inbetweeners 2. She fronted her own ABC TV documentary, Felicity's Mental Mission, and is a mental health advocate. Felicity can be heard in her own BBC Radio 4 series, Appisodes and is a regular co-host of The Guilty Feminist podcast. On the live circuit, Felicity is a Chortle UK Club Comic of the Year nominee and has been nominated for the biggest awards in live comedy: Best Comedy at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Adelaide Fringe; and has won Best Australian Act at the Perth Comedy Festival and Best Local Act at the Sydney Comedy Festival, twice. And Felicity has performed live stand up on the biggest stages and for the biggest TV galas, from Live at the Apollo, to Just For Laughs Montreal: Access All Areas and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival TV Gala. In October this year, she will embark on her largest UK tour to date, with Im Exhausting! In short: she goes alright. "A garishly colourful tapestry of pin-sharp comic observations, thoughtful discussion around mental health and euphoric squawking... that's so beautifully woven together that, if you could find space between great big snorting exhortations ofcomic laughter, you would surely gasp." - The List "Joyfully funny... her originality and sheer inventiveness stay with you long after." - Edinburgh Evening News "Relentless... easily her best Fringe show to date." - The Mirror Doors Open 7pm Evening Starts 8pm Venue Curfew 10.30pm All tickets are for unreserved seating if you require specific seating please drop us a message

A Bear Walks Into A Bar... Comedy Night at The Wight Bear Headline Act - Jessica Fostekew Hosted By - Joe Fortis Support Acts - TBC Jessica Fostekew... Jessica Fostekew is a comedian, actor and writer whose stand up show, Hench was nominated for the 2019 Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show. It's now available as a stand up special on Amazon Prime and has been adapted into the BBC R4 stand up special - Sturdy Girl Club which has been commissioned for a second series. Jessica's has appeared on numerous entertainment shows such as, BBC2's Live at The Apollo, QI, Richard Osman's House Of Games and many more. She is also a regular co-host of The Guilty Feminist (podcast with 60 million+ downloads) and host and creator of foodie hit and new chart-topping pod, "Hoovering" (recommended in the Guardian and The Independent). Jessica will also be featuring in season two of World's Most Dangerous Roads for Dave. Jessica has co-written and stars in 'Real Friends', a new special for Sky Shorts and has several scripted projects in development. As an actor, shes amassed a slew of impressive credits, including; Avoidance (with Romesh Ranganathan), Scrapper (feature), The Trouble With Maggie Cole, Cuckoo (BBC/ Netflix), Motherland, Out of Her Mind, Trigonometry and BAFTA multiple-award winning BBC drama, Three Girls. You can catch her in the feature films, Official Secrets from Gavin Hood and Greed from Michael Winterbottom. You can also hear her regularly on BBC Radio 4 & 4 Extra on The Comedy Club, Museum of Curiosity, The News Quiz and The Podcast Radio Hour. "A new fiercely funny strain of comedy thats her own" The Independent "A loud, lively and vital voice" The Evening Standard "Wears her smarts on her sleeve, great stuff" The Guardian Doors Open 7pm Evening Starts 8pm Venue Curfew 10.30pm All tickets are for unreserved seating if you require specific seating please drop us a message

Gwenifer began playing guitar at the age of eight shortly after having been first exposed to punk and grunge. After years of playing around the Welsh valleys in various punk outfits she began listening more to pre-war blues musicians as well as Appalachian folk players, eventually leading into the guitar players of the American Primitive genre. It was then that Gwenifer began writing her own moody and often-times manic original American Primitive styled compositions and started playing shows around the UK.