This year I was lucky enough to go to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo for the first time. It’s one of those things I’ve always intended going to, but during the dates it’s on I’m either far too north or in a completely different country. This summer I did things a bit differently and built in a few weeks holiday based around Edinburgh so I could go to the Festival and the Tattoo.
I’ve only ever heard people talk about how wonderful it is and not once come across anyone disappointed with it, so I was expecting it to be good. But you know what? Even with my expectations already high, I was still blown away by it. It’s one of those things that you really have to experience to appreciate it properly. If I lived in Edinburgh or if it was at a different time, I’d go every year.
In case you’re planning to go next year, or even if you’re not sure what the Tattoo actually is and are wondering if it’s something you might fancy doing one day, read on for my Beginner’s Guide to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
What is the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo?
First, I suppose, I should say what a Tattoo is.
A Tattoo, in the military sense of the word, is the evening drum or bugle signal which would recall soldiers to their quarters. The reason it’s called a Tattoo is because the beat of the drum or bugle was meant to sound like doe den tap toe which is Dutch for ‘turn off the taps’. The taps in question were the beer taps in local pubs and the Tattoo was as much an instruction to the landlords as it was an instruction to the soldiers.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo isn’t really a Tattoo in the original sense of the word and local pubs aren’t expected to stop serving beer. What it is instead, is the coming together of military bands from around the world in a performance that showcases their countries and delights an audience of over 8,000 every night for nearly a month.
The very first Edinburgh Tattoo was held in 1950. However, the story began the year before in 1949. A show called ‘Something About a Soldier’ was performed at the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens. The bandstand is still there if you’d like to see it. From this show, Lieutenant Colonel George Malcolm got the idea of having the Military perform as part of the Edinburgh Festival and the Tattoo was born.
In 1950 the Tattoo featured eight bands playing to 6,000 spectators. Over the years it has grown phenomenally and now features bands from all over the world performing before a nightly audience of 8,800. By the end of its run, around 220,00 people will have watched the Tattoo live on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade.
When is the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo?
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is held in August each year. This year it ran from the 2nd to the 24th. The dates coincide with the Edinburgh International Festival and if you are coming to Edinburgh to see the Tattoo I highly recommend you allow time to see some of the other festival events too. Likewise, if you are coming to the Festival, then do try to get a ticket for the Tattoo as well.
Performances are held in the evenings and start at 9pm on weekdays. On Saturdays there are two performances, the first is at 7.30pm and the second is at 10.30pm. There is no performance on a Sunday.
The perfomance lasts for just over an hour and an a half and it can take quite a while to get out afterwards. Bear this in mind if you are using public transport to get back to your accommodation. I stayed at the Festival campsite near the airport and used the trams. Once I got free of the crowds (which took ages) I rushed down the hill to the tram stop on Princes Street and made the last tram with about 10 minutes to spare. If I had missed it, there were night buses I could take, but they were far less convenient.
How can I get a ticket?
Buy your tickets from the official website. This site also has lots of information about what you can and can’t take into the venue, how to get there and so on.
Tickets for this year’s show went on sale last December and cost between £25 and £90. Although it’s said the performances sell-out, I was able to buy my ticket just over a month before and had a choice of seats. Of course, it’s easier for me because I only needed one seat – if there are a few of you and you want to sit together then you’d probably be better buying your tickets as soon as possible.
Where should I sit?
The performance area is a long rectangle and the seats are grandstand style running along the two long sides of the rectangle. The castle entrance is at one end and the press box and some seats at the other end.
I sat high up near the castle end. These were the cheaper seats, but I don’t think anywhere you sit gives you a bad view. The performances fill the space and so no matter where you sit you’ll be close to some bits and far away from other bits.
Sitting high up had the advantage of being able to really see the choreography. The way the performers moved around each other was quite mesmerising at times and I don’t think I would have been able to fully appreciate this if I’d been sitting lower down. Of course, if I’d been seated lower down I’d have been closer to the front and better able to appreciate the costumes. So swings and roundabouts.
One thing about sitting high up that you might want to consider is that there are a lot of steps to climb to get to the top. Getting up them wasn’t a problem for me, but at the end when the venue is emptying, the lower rows get to leave first. Being at the top and being at the castle end which is furthest from the exit, meant I was amongst the last people to leave. If catching a last bus or tram is going to be an issue for you, then I advise you sit lower down and try to get a seat at the end furthest from the castle.
What should I wear?
It’s August and the middle of summer. It’s also Scotland and the evening. Play it safe and expect it to be cold and wet.
It had been raining quite heavily earlier in the evening on the day I went to the Tattoo, but by the time the performance started it was just a light drizzle and did stop completely for a while.
You can’t use umbrellas in the venue (this is a GOOD THING – you’d drip on everyone and block everyone’s view) so make sure you have plenty of waterproofs. I wore my waterproof jacket with a hood and took my cagoule to spread over my legs. My daypack has a waterproof cover which I used to keep it dry.
Many people were using plastic ponchos and I had one in my bag just in case I needed it in addition to my other waterproofs. You can buy the ponchos inside the venue, but they cost a whopping £5. If you’re going to need one try to pick one up beforehand.
TIP: The Scotsman newspaper had stalls every day at various places around the city selling copies of the paper for £1.70. If you bought the paper at one of these stands rather than at a shop, you got a bag of freebies to go with it. The stands all had slightly different freebies, but they usually included a selection of sweets and snacks and a bottle of water. At some stands the freebies included a rain poncho and this is where I got mine.
As well as being prepared for rain, dress warmly. I had a couple of fleeces with me as well as my rain jacket and felt quite snug. It wasn’t cold enough for a hat and gloves, though I’ve been told it can get that cold on some evenings.
One other item you should bring with you to keep you warm isn’t clothing, it’s a cushion. The seats are plastic and do get very cold as the evening goes on. My daypack comes with a foam pad which can be pulled out and used to sit on. This was perfect. Similar foam pads were being hired out at the venue, I think for about £3.
Do bear in mind that you’re not allowed to take a big bag in. You might need a big bag for all your layers of clothing and waterproofs and a cushion and maybe a blanket too. If you do, carry them in a foldable bag so if it’s a problem you can put your layers on and fold the bag away into a smaller bag. I took my daypack which is on the large size as daypacks go, but it was fine.
Can I take food and drink in?
You’re not allowed to take glass bottles or alcohol in with you. I’d also read that you weren’t allowed to take water in a bottle that wasn’t sealed, so kept one of my free Scotsman newspaper sealed bottles of water to take with me. I had an unsealed bottle as well, which I was expecting to have to give up. No-one checked that closely and I kept both. I wouldn’t recommend taking an expensive reusable water bottle with you just in case you do get checked more thoroughly than me.
Is there a lot of security?
Yes and no. There are lots of stewards and police around, but the bag checks were quite perfunctory. When I got my tickets it said on them that I should have photo ID with me as that would need to be checked against my ticket. I had my driving licence in my purse but no-one asked to see it.
What time should I arrive?
The doors open 45 minutes before the performance and it’s recommended that you take your seat at least 15 minutes before the start.
The queues go all the way down the hill from the castle and round the corner and down along Johnston Terrace and start forming fairly early. I spoke to one of the stewards and she told me not to rush but to arrive after the door opening time as the queue moves quickly and after about 15 minutes is much shorter. I did this and was able to join the queue on the hill up to the castle rather than all the way down Johnston Terrace. Most people hang around buying drinks and ponchos and using the toilets before they take their seats, so although I’d got there a bit later I was one of the first few to take my seat.
Can I take photos?
Yes, and videos too, but no flash. If it’s raining heavily you might not want to get your camera or phone out though. Remember you won’t have an umbrella to shelter under.
Also the performances are fast moving and it’s dark. I took loads of photos but struggled to get any that weren’t blurry. I ended up taking mostly videos which as you can see aren’t the greatest but they do give an idea of what the performances were like. With video you get the sound too of course.
What are the performances like?
Ah, the performances. Words, photos and even videos can’t do them justice. Each year has a theme and this year it was Through a Kaleidoscope.
This is what the blurb on the website says:
This year’s theme, Kaleidoscope, is designed to showcase the brilliant uniforms, costumes and formations for which the Edinburgh Tattoo is famous. The symmetries of the military bands matched with the precision of the dancers and marching drill teams creates an effect which is spectacular and constantly changing, just like the view through a kaleidoscope. Each performance will take the audience on a 100-minute journey around the world, exploring the rich heritage, culture and traditions of the nations involved.
Alongside several bands from Scotland and England, there were also bands from China, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, France, Germany and New Zealand. The performances all were spectacular and were made even better with lighting effects and images screened on to the castle walls. Towards the end there is a fireworks display and then all the performers come on to the stage area together for a grand finale. As they leave a lone piper remains and plays the final tune.
There is commentary throughout introducing the bands and explaining a bit about them which I liked. Before the performance begins, the commentator shares some facts about the Tattoo and says where people in the audience are from (I suppose they know this from ticket sales) eliciting a cheer each time he mentions a place from which lots of people have come. Apparently about a third of the audience each night are Scottish, a third from elsewhere in the UK and the final third are visiting from around the world.
Now that I’ve seen the Edinburgh Tattoo for myself, I can’t believe it took me so long. If you’re planning to be anywhere near Edinburgh during the dates it’s on I highly recommend you grab yourself a ticket (and a waterproof poncho) and go see it for yourself.
Would you like to go to the Edinburgh Tattoo? Or have you already been? Is there anything I’ve missed from my Beginner’s Guide to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo? Share your thoughts, recommendations and tips in the comments below.
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I’ve learnt something new today – I had no idea why it was called the Tattoo! I didn’t know there was so much to it either, with theme and different performances. Definitely looks like something I should head up to see one year.
It really is wonderful, I do hope you get to see it for yourself one day!
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In the 1950s, military tattoos have gone beyond soldier barracks and were introduced to the public as more of a performance. Now, military tattoos have become an annual tradition as a way to celebrate the military.
The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo is renowned for being the biggest indoor army soldier tattoo in the world, it also welcomes civilians to perform after the crew embarks on a two-week-long rehearsal period.
My husband and I have tickets in the Royal box. We have dinner at the castle before the performance. What do women wear when seated in royal box? My husband plans to wear a coat and tie.
I hope you enjoyed it, especially in the royal box! I didn’t see what women were wearing there – what did you decide on in the end?
How do you get tickets for the dress rehearsal as it’s not mentioned in your information.