Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Duration: ~2 hrs

Location: Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Event Dates: Annually during August

Website: Edinburgh Tattoo

Except for 2020 and 2021 the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has taken place every year since 1950. There is nothing else like it. The Edinburgh Castle Esplanade is turned into a spectacular venue with the castle as the backdrop for almost 10k nightly spectators (2 shows on Saturday, Sunday off). Pipe bands and other military bands as well as dancers and historic reenactors from around the world (a cast of close to 1000) perform while a coordinated light show projects onto the castle and finishes with a beautiful fireworks display. 

Did I mention there is nothing like it?

The organization itself is a charity and supports a variety of causes. There are tickets at various price points. We saw two performances in 2017. One from about midway up section 10 and the other from very high seats in section 3 (during the early Saturday show). Although we enjoyed both shows, the view was better in the more expensive seats. So, get the best seats your budget will allow. Prepare to wait in long lines to enter the castle. 

If you have a chance go back on a night when you don’t have tickets and watch the performers exit the venue or head up to one of the nearby hills and watch the fireworks finale. 

My youngest kiddo was a member of the Highland Dance team in 2017 and although that was the motivation to go, I was truly blown away by the show overall and would recommend anyone who is in Edinburgh in August to attend. You won’t soon forget the feeling. 

“But hornpipes, jigs, strathspeys, and reels,

Put life and mettle in their heels.”

Robert Burns