Sydney witnessed four spectacular performances during its staging of the largest ever Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which concluded last night at ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo remains unrivalled in its global reach, inclusiveness of nations and mix of tradition and pageantry.
The 80-metre-wide and 26-metre-high replica Edinburgh Castle again proved a popular backdrop, with 300 ‘state of the art intelligent lights’ and 19 truckloads of supporting scaffolding.
“The massed bands and the precision of the performances provided an opportunity for those watching to reflect on not just the service of our nation, but all nations which took part in the performance,” Chief of the Defence Force, General Angus Campbell said.
“The event showcased the amazing talent we have in our military bands, not just to Australia and our region but to those who viewed the show from all over the world.
“The Tattoo allowed us to perform alongside other armed forces in an iconic event celebrating service, customs and traditions.”
The Australian Defence Force provided a range of ceremonial and logistic support to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo including more than 250 cast members, air and ground transport and coordination for participating nations.
The Royal Australian Air Force transported participants from the Pacific nations – including Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu – to Australia earlier this week. They will depart from RAAF Base Richmond to return these participants to their home countries today and tomorrow.
The Tattoo featured all the hallmark elements of this world-famous military and cultural event with unique Australian and international acts added to the programme. Traditional crowd favourite songs Auld Lang Syne and Scotland The Brave were also featured in addition to contemporary favourites.
