Edinburgh Military Tattoo
AUG 6–28, 2010
In the glowering twilight, Edinburgh Castle slumbers, resting, waiting for nightfall and for the footlights that will transform it into a dazzling stage set for the world's most spectacular show.
Set against the dramatic backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, this 90 minute performance is a unique blend of music, ceremony, entertainment and theatre. Over 1,000 military and civilian performers gather for a breathtaking spectacle of music, history, dance and colour.
The Tattoo presents a host of international performers, military and civilian. Bands of all sizes and description have been joined by dancers, steel bands, flag-wavers, drill teams, zulus, camels, elephants, cavalry, motorcyclists, and police dogs. But at the heart of every Tattoo's universal appeal is the stirring sight and sound of the massed pipes and drums from the Scottish regiments.
Each year about 217,000 people attend the Tattoo, while another 100 million watch it on television. The word 'tattoo' in fact derives from the cry of inn-keepers in the Low Countries in the 17th and 18th centuries. At closing time, the fifes and drums of the local regiment would march through the streets, their music signalling a return to quarters, and the shout would go up - 'Doe den tap toe' ('turn off the beer taps').
From this beginning, a 'tattoo' became a ceremonial performance of military music by massed bands. The range of music presented at the Edinburgh Tattoo is now as diverse as the countries represented; from pomp and circumstance to showbiz razzmatazz - with just about everything in between. Ending with a lone piper playing on the Castle ramparts the ambitious spectacle finishes on a spine tingling emotional note.
2010 Tickets NOW ON SALE
The Edinburgh Military Tattoo Diamond Jubilee 2010 will take place over the period 6-28 August with performances on Monday to Friday at 9.00pm and on Saturday at 7.30pm and 10.30pm. There is no performance on Sunday. Ticket prices will range from £16.00 to £53.00. Full details are available on the Tattoo website at www.edintattoo.co.uk.
Tickets can be purchased in the following ways:
Online at www.edintattoo.co.uk from 10.00am (GMT) on Tuesday 1 December 2009. On-line bookings will be limited to eight tickets per household. Multiple bookings which exceed this limit will be cancelled without notification. Best available seats on the specified date and within the specified block will be allocated to you at the time of booking. Please note, however, should you have any special requirements such as specific seat numbers, lower tier, aisle or disabled seating, you should select another method of booking. On-line bookings will be subject to a £3.00 booking fee per transaction.
Postal bookings will be processed from 10.00am (GMT) on Tuesday 1 December 2009. Please note, however, completed postal ticket order forms must reach the Tattoo Office no later than close of business on Friday 6 November. Orders received after this time will not be included in the initial ticket allocation process but will be processed, subject to availability, after all those orders received by the cut-off date. CLICK HERE to download the postal ticket order form. When completed this should be returned to the address shown below.
Telephone bookings on 0131 225 1188 (0044 131 225 1188 if calling from outside the United Kingdom) will be accepted from 10.00am (GMT) on Wednesday 9 December 2009 and will be subject to a £3.00 booking fee per transaction.
Counter sales will be accepted from 10.00am (GMT) on Wednesday 16 December at the Tattoo Ticket Sales Office, 33-34 Market Street, Edinburgh. Office hours are Monday to Friday from 10.00am to 4.30pm.
