Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo ( from english tattoo tattoo = ) is the largest music festival in Scotland. It takes place on the square in front of the Edinburgh Castle (known as the Esplanade ) in the Scottish capital Edinburgh since 1950, every year in August. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo is part of the Edinburgh Festival and bears since 2010 awarded by the Queen Elizabeth II official title Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Program

Originally, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo was dedicated exclusively to military music. Today it has a greatly expanded program. Besides the military part remains dominant also largely civilian dance and vocal performances are shown for several years. As before, however, most performers members of the British armed forces.

All performances take a total of approximately one and a half hours. Traditionally, solid - as Scottish - components of the program are performances by the Massed Pipes and Drums, the Highland Spring Dancers and the Lone Piper. The Massed Pipes and Drums are a put together especially for the Military Tattoo of several military bands formation of about 180 pipers and drummers. The approximately 80 dancers of the Highland Spring Dancers show especially dances to traditional Scottish music. The Lone Piper playing on the battlements of the castle to commemorate the fallen soldiers of the British Army.

The rest of the program changes annually and is presented by international bands, bands and dance troupes. The final highlight each year is the mass appearance of all participants, always adopting the British anthem God Save the Queen and the Scottish song Auld Lang Syne is played. To march out sounding traditional "The Black Bear " and " Scotland the Brave ".

Audience

The more than 1,000 musicians and dancers can be observed from approximately 8,600 spectators live. For this purpose every summer on the Esplande be specially built stands that are removed again in September. Performances are Monday to Friday each clock at 21:00 and Saturday at 19:30 and at 22:30. Only on Sunday no performance is offered. The tickets are often sold out months in advance. Interested parties should book early as the winter for the event the following summer. Since 1968, a performance per year will televise today and seen by an estimated 100 million viewers worldwide. For Germany, commented Rolf Seelmann- Eggebert the NDR television, the BBC production.

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo is under the patronage of Princess Anne and is not a commercial event. The surpluses generated annually by selling about 217,000 tickets will be provided charitable organizations.

Responsible Head

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo was or is under the direction of: