In 1950, just five years after World War II had devastated Europe and left tens of millions dead, Scotland was searching for a way to lift spirits and honour those who had fallen. The answer was the inaugural Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Staged against the dramatic backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, the first Tattoo featured eight performances and attracted a crowd of around 6,000 people. What began as a post-war gesture of remembrance and unity has since grown into a world-renowned annual spectacle, drawing audiences in the hundreds of thousands each August.
Despite its growth in scale and global reputation, the core purpose remains unchanged – to celebrate military tradition, international talent and cultural connection through music, precision and pageantry.
Now, that celebration is taking place much closer to home.
Brisbane has officially turned tartan, with more than 1,000 performers from 13 countries descending on the city for The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, taking place at Suncorp Stadium from 12-15 February 2026 to mark the event’s 75th anniversary.
As part of an exclusive VisitScotland and VisitBritain famil, travel media and industry professionals were granted behind-the-scenes access to rehearsals, including a backstage tour, before attending opening night of the milestone production.
You wouldn’t get this anywhere else in the world.
For Musical Director, Lieutenant Colonel Nick Grace OBE, the Brisbane leg is something of a homecoming.
“It’s a little bit of coming back home to Brisbane,” he said. “Thirty-eight years ago, I was on the Royal Yacht Britannia with Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. We anchored off Hamilton and Her Majesty opened World Expo. I’ve been waiting 38 years to come back.”
This time, he returns not as a young serviceman but as the man shaping the soundtrack of the Tattoo’s 75th-anniversary show.
“I’ve brought a fantastic stage orchestra made up of musicians from all three services in the British Armed Forces – the Army, the Royal Marines and the Royal Air Force,” he said. “They’re great musicians. It’s a combination you wouldn’t get anywhere else.”
While elements of the anniversary production premiered in Edinburgh, Grace said taking it on tour was about sharing that milestone with international audiences.
“We put some of this show on for our 75th anniversary in Edinburgh, but now we can take it on tour and bring it to the fabulous people of Australia – and New Zealand next week.”
The scale of the Edinburgh production alone is immense: 26 shows across August, performed in a purpose-built 9,000-seat arena on the Esplanade, with around 230,000 guests attending annually. Audiences are split roughly 50/50 between domestic and international visitors, with strong markets including the US, Germany, France, Australia and New Zealand.
“It’s worth the entry fee just to sit there and look at the castle,” Grace said. “And when you see hundreds of pipers coming out of the drawbridge, with the lights and the full cast – until you see it, you don’t quite believe it.”
For Brisbane audiences, he promises the same standard.
“If I can recommend it to anybody – from the smallest person in the family to the oldest of all – it’s a real family treat. The service, variety and entertainment is top notch. It’s high quality, and you wouldn’t get that anywhere else in the world.”
