An Overview of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is one of the most popular events in Edinburgh and attracts tons of tourists to the city! But what exactly is it? What should you expect? And why is it called a ‘tattoo’? We answer all of those questions and more in this blog post!
What is a military tattoo?
A military tattoo in a nutshell is a military performance or display by armed forces. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo first began in 1949 and is one of the largest and most well-known tattoos in the world.
Why is it called a 'tattoo'?
The name ‘tattoo’ in this context does not refer to ink tattoos and dates back to a Dutch phrase from the 17th century, ‘doe den tap toe’, meaning ‘turn off the tap’. This was a signal to tavern owners to stop serving beer so that the soldiers could go to bed. Later on, once military bands were established, a tattoo meant the last duty call of the day as well as evening entertainment.
Where the Tattoo Takes Place
Edinburgh’s Tattoo takes place on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade each August alongside many other festivals in Edinburgh. A grandstand with a capacity of ~8,800 seats is put up every year.
When the Performances Are
There are generally performances every weekday evening and twice on Saturdays throughout August. For 2022, the Tattoo takes place from 05 - 27 August and the times are Monday to Friday at 21.00, except for Friday 26 August when two shows will take place at 18.15 and 21.30, and Saturdays at 18.15 and 21.30. Each show lasts about two hours.
How Much the Tattoo Costs
Standard tickets range from £30 - £95 each, plus booking fee. There are also more fancy options like Premier Seats, Royal Gallery Seats, and even Hospitality Packages that start from £145. Find out more on their website.
How to Get Discounted Tickets
We managed to snag discounted tickets to attend this year’s Tattoo. The best way to find out and be notified of discounted tickets is to sign up to the Tattoo’s newsletters!
The only slight caveat is that the discounted tickets are only available for one evening’s performance, which is the night before the Tattoo officially opens. The night before it officially opens, they record the show, so the tickets are discounted because cameras will be filming on the Esplanade and your view may be partially obstructed if a photographer or camera gets in the way.
We got our tickets for £30 each instead of £60 each, and we were not bothered at all by the cameras! It was actually quite funny to see photographers and videographers running around on the Esplanade trying to get their shots.
If you happen to be in Edinburgh around the beginning of August, be sure to go for the discounted tickets!
Where to Sit
Below is a screenshot of the seating plan:
The Premier Seats and seats in the Royal Gallery facing the castle will be the best view, but those are of course the most expensive tickets, costing from £160 onward. We’ve always sat somewhere on the side, and we’ve always chosen seats on the left side of the U-shape (usually sections 11-14) to get a slightly better view of the fireworks that go off at the end of each performance. But because of the raised seating of the grandstand and the fact that the performers march around the entire Esplanade, most seats really are just fine.
Where to Buy Tickets
The easiest way to buy tickets is on their website. If booking online, be sure to book directly on the Tattoo’s website to ensure legitimacy. Tickets can also be booked by calling their box office at +44 (0) 131 225 1188 between Monday and Friday from 10.00 - 16.30. Ticket delivery options are you printing them at home, physical ticket delivery, or mobile tickets.
What to Expect at a Performance
Each performance is made up of bands from the British Armed Forces as well as drill and display teams. The show has also diversified over the years and now, performers from all over the world come to Edinburgh to perform, so expect a lot of music and a wide array of performances! The show always ends with a Lone Piper piping at the top of Edinburgh Castle, which is quite something. As well, fireworks from Edinburgh Castle cap off each performance, weather permitting, of course.
What if it rains?
In a nutshell, too bad! You are in Scotland, after all! The Tattoo goes ahead in all weathers and has only been cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. If it does rain, umbrellas are not allowed since they may obstruct others’ views and/or hurt someone.
What to Wear
As the Tattoo takes place outside and in the evenings, unless Edinburgh is experiencing a heatwave, it will be chilly, so wear your absolute warmest clothes! We were there for the first time in six years and had forgotten how cold it gets! We would even advise to bring along gloves and a blanket for extra comfort. And since the performances take place in all weathers, bring something waterproof in case it does rain!
Be sure to check out our comprehensive video on the Tattoo!
I have more specific questions!
If there’s anything more specific that we haven’t answered above, the Tattoo’s website has an FAQ section.
We hope you learned something about the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo! Have you ever been before? Are you planning to? Let us know in the comments below!
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