Colourful light shows dance across the old castle walls of Edinburgh Castle. On the esplanade in front, pipers line up and unleash their acoustic power. That’s what it feels like to attend the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in August.
Every Tattoo year has a theme. In 2018 it was “The Sky is the Limit”. This was meant to celebrate both the centenary of the Royal Air Force and Scotland’s Year of the Young People.
Both themes showed not only in the choice of bands, but also in the motifs of the light show, which is a key part of the Tattoo.
For example, in the performance by the Central Band of the Czech Armed Forces and its accompanying dance group Ondráš, which was set against projections of floral motifs on the castle wall.
As you can already see: the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is by no means just a bagpipe event. Fitting the Year of the Young People and the “Sky is the Limit” theme, the young dancers came from the Shetland Islands. They celebrate the seabirds of their homeland with no bagpipes at all, but with fiddles.
The organisers of the military parade place great value on international thinking. Bands from all over the world have taken part since as far back as 1952, and 2018 was no exception. Alongside the Czech band, the Banda Monumental de México also performed, for instance. Their eagle warriors got things started.
The band then transformed the esplanade into a Fiesta Mexicana – complete with sombreros, lassos, mariachis and, of course, the Mexican flag.
Sticking with North America: from the USA came the Pipes and Drums from Boston.
With no music this time, but with military acrobatics instead, came the United States Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team. They whirled rifles through the air in a way that took your breath away.
Especially the moment when the Master Sergeant strides through the guard of honour formed by flying rifles – each one, mind you, fitted with a bayonet.
After this slick display came the cavalry – the one from Oman, that is. With bagpipes, drums and colourful robes, they sprinkled a touch of the Arabian Nights across the arena.
Of course, after a while things had to turn Scottish again. The Tattoo Dance Company performed the sword dances.
To top the precision of that dance, only one nation could help: Switzerland. Its Top Secret Drum Corps is by now almost a permanent fixture at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
To understand what makes them special, you have to see their moves:
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To finally top even the Swiss show, you need the bands of Britain’s air, sea and land forces, who marched and played together.
Before the grand showdown came, with all the groups together and a fireworks display.
Know-how: About tattoos and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
What does “tattoo” actually mean? It’s actually a kind of loanword. Doing the “tap toe” – “closing the tap” – was a term found in Dutch, Belgian, Low German and even Swedish. In Germany, the term “Zapfenstreich” caught on for this. All of it describes the same thing: the curfew from which soldiers were no longer allowed outside their quarters. This was often announced with music – trumpets, or drums and fifes. Later, dedicated military music events developed from this. That’s why the “Großer Zapfenstreich” is nowadays the ceremony held when a German federal president leaves office.
In Edinburgh, however, this developed since 1950 into a festival of military music. It has always been held on the esplanade in front of the castle and takes place every year. To mark its sixtieth anniversary, it was allowed to call itself “Royal”. So today its correct name is: The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Its patron, incidentally, is Princess Anne.
Nowadays around 220,000 people attend the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo each year, with the arena holding 8,800 spectators, spread across more than 20 individual performances.
The number of participants inside the arena is far from small either. On average, around 1,200 dancers, musicians and performers take part each year.
Tips: Enjoying The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
When to buy tickets? Advance sales for the following summer open every December. Since the Tattoo has already sold out for 19 consecutive years, you should get your tickets in advance in good time. In Germany, you can get tickets via the official website. On site, they’re also available at the office at 3 Cockburn Street, right near Waverley Station.
When and where to queue? More than an hour before each event, the first guests already gather at the gate that runs down the side of the castle rock along Johnston Terrace. That said, it’s really not necessary to arrive that early, since all tickets are seated tickets. Still, visitors shouldn’t cut it too fine either.
Bags. The Tattoo takes security very seriously, so bags are checked on entry.
Getting there:
For the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, you should generally travel by public transport. Because the car parks are often full during festival season, and cost a small fortune anyway.
