EDINBURGH 2023: THE ROYAL EDINBURGH MILITARY TATTOO, Edinburgh Castle
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo runs until 26 August
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The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is an event that is famous throughout the world. It is held on the Edinburgh Castle esplanade every August and goes ahead no matter the weather. We lucked out for this performance and not only had blue skies but were treated to a flyover from the Red Arrows.
The theme of this years event is 'Stories' and it has a cast from all over the world with different types of music and performance. It runs to a tight 90-minute runtime and is suitable for all ages.
Kicking things off with a traditional bagpipe procession, this really is the absolute best of the best. Dozens of pipers playing together in perfect unison, it truly is remarkable to see and hear. Pop culture is involved in other sections of the performance with elaborate dance displays, the inclusion of a Lizzo song and "Come Alive" from The Greatest Showman.
There's highland dancing, drumming sections, beautiful dance displays and costumes and military routines. The sheer scale of this production is unreal and you can see the work that goes into it with runners coming on to replace different set pieces.
The seating plan and format of the staging ensures that there isn't a bad seat in the house. Most of the military performers emerge from the castle- a truly stunning backdrop to the performance. Everything takes place on the centre esplanade so it can be viewed from all angles.
Every single element of this production is of the highest quality and it is easy to see why this is regarded as one of the most impressive shows in the world.

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