The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a series of military drum performances done by International and Commonwealth military bands, as well as the British Armed Forces. It is performed annually in Edinburgh, Scotland. It takes place through the month of August during the Edinburgh Festival.
The first tattoo, called “Something About A Soldier” was performed at the Ross Bandstand in Edinburgh in 1949. The first official Military Tattoo, however, started in 1950 with only eight items in the program. It was done at the Edinburgh Castle, and brought nearly 6,000 people in to watch. In 1952, the stands were upgraded to allow an audience of to 7,700. This allowed up to 160,000 people to view the live performances each year.
Presently, on average, over 217,000 people come to see the Tattoo live yearly on the esplanade of the castle. For the last decade, the tickets have sold out in advance. The Tattoo performs every night of the week, and twice on Saturday all through August, and to this day has never been cancelled due to weather. There aren’t any performances on Sundays. Every performance has Pyrotechnics, but the second Saturday showing includes a fireworks display. 100 million people watch the performance every year on television, and it is broadcast in 30 different countries.
Many different groups have performed at the Tattoo over the years, including African tribes and international military regiments. The Band of the Royal Netherlands Grenadiers were the first regiment outside the UK to take part in 1952. A ‘lead’ service performs each year, alternating between the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy, the British Army, and the Royal Marines.
The Tattoo also performs in order to generate money to donate to charities. Over the years, they have given over €5 million to numerous charities. Charities that the Tattoo support includes any that help people with disabilities, homelessness, poverty, and unemployment. Some of the charities that benefit from the help of the Tattoo include the RAF Benevolent Fund, the Army Benevolent Fund, and Seafarers UK. The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, is the official patron of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
This year, the Tattoo will be performing from August 5th to August 27th. On Friday, August 5th, the performance will begin at 8:30 pm. Otherwise, the performances will take place Monday through Friday at 9:00 pm. Saturday performances will be at 7:30 pm for the first, and 10:30 pm for the second. There are four different ways to book tickets to attend the Tattoo: postal bookings, over the counter, Internet bookings, and over the telephone. For telephone and Internet reservations, there will be a €4.00 fee for each transaction completed. Internet and telephone reservations will not be accepted on the day of the performance. Depending on the seating you want, ticket prices range from €25 to €55. An extra €3.00 will be added for the Saturday 10:30 pm performance due to the fireworks display.
We have over 25 vacations to choose from that include tickets in the price. Why not take a tour that includes the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2011?
The Edinburgh Military Tattoo is one of Europe’s most spectacular annual events. Our advisors’ Common Mistakes to Avoid When Traveling to Europe guide ensures you plan these special events perfectly.
