Edinburgh Military Tattoo

For scale, no show in Edinburgh can rival the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Literally hundreds of performers, both from Scotland and bands and organisations from abroad, gather under the dramatic backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. The series of displays, which take place on the castle esplanade (an 18th century parade ground), combine breathtaking shows of military precision, often a battle re-enactment, military bands, including the rousing mass pipes and drums.

We're around about the half-way mark of the Edinburgh Fringe (if you include preview dates), and I thought it would be a good time to take stock of how this year's Festival is going.

There are some things that you can rely on with the Edinburgh Tattoo: marching bands, fireworks and big bangs, mass country dancing, and displays of military manoeuvres. A lone piper will play a plaintive lament from the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle towards the end of the show, making the hairs on 9000 necks stand to attention, before the rousing grand finale of mass pipes and drums playing together. Running to 27 August, it's the biggest cast in the festival city, set against one of the most spectacular settings in Edinburgh, if not the country.

Half-price preview tickets for the hugly popular Edinburgh Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle go on sale tomorrow morning (10am, Monday, 25th July). The preview performance is on the 4th August at 9.30pm.

Edinburgh's Festivals will share £2 million from the Scottish Government to showcase Scottish cultural and creative talent.

The Cavalcade sees performers from all the Edinburgh Festivals roll through the city in an annual procession at the beginning of August. The Calvacade itself takes place from 2pm to 3pm, although there are informal performances by Fringe and community groups, before and after the Calvacade (noon to 4pm) in Holyrood park between Holyrood Palace and Meadowbank.

Late medieval walls and the foundations of what appears to be a military spur, which formed part of the outer defences at Edinburgh Castle., have been uncovered by archaeologists on the castle esplanade.

The Edinburgh Festivals' Cavalcade relocates to Holyrood Park this year for the first time ever due to the need to avoid the tram works on Princes Street.

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo is returning to Australia for performances at the Sydney Football stadium in February 2010.  The new production will be the biggest ever seen in the event's six decade history.

Over 400 visitors from 14 countries have revealed that an impressive pictorial record of one of the world's most breathtaking spectacles can be successfully accomplished in the 19th Tattoo Photographic Competition run over the period of the 2008 Edinburgh Tattoo.

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo is to extend its reach beyond Edinburgh, with a series of four events to be staged across Scotland, it was announced yesterday.

Few cities undergo such a transformation as Scotland's capital city in the month of August.

The normally easy-going, historic city suddenly jolts to life as thousands of actors, artists,

Over 1,000 performers from America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the United Kingdom will appear at this year's 59th Edinburgh Tattoo (1-23 August). The programme announced yesterday includes all the traditional ingredients of massed pipes & drums, massed bands, overseas contingents, and the Lone Piper on the floodlit Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle at the end.

Note: this event was re-scheduled from 14 September

The good news, for those with tickets, is that this is a fantastic evening and well up to the high standards of previous Edinburgh Tattoos. The bad news is that the tickets are all sold out - returns are the only answer for those who want to go.