The Tattoo, which was last held in the grounds of Edinburgh Castle in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic saw the event cancelled, will see more than 900 performers wow tens of thousands of visitors over the next month.

Michael Braithwaite, the show’s new creative director, said he could not wait to see what audiences thought of it, as more than 8,000 eager Tattoo fans turned out for the Castle Esplanade on Thursday’s preview night.

Royal Edinburgh Military TattooThe Swiss Top Secret Drum Corps during the working rehearsal for this year’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo at Redford Barracks, Edinburgh (Jane Barlow/PA)
“This is where it really comes alive, the audience are half the performance. The rehearsals were looking great but having the audience in is going to take it to a whole new level,” he said.

“We’ve got some new contemporary slots in the show, we’re doing some interesting new things with Scottish dancing and also with bagpipes, I don’t want to give too much away, but we’ve got a couple of surprises up our sleeve.

“But also the things that people really expect, the mass pipes and drums coming across the drawbridge, the military bands, the precision drill, it’s a jam-packed programme this year.

Royal Edinburgh Military TattooMembers of the Massed Pipes and Drums taking part in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle (Jane Barlow/PA)
“The secret is hitting a number of bases. We know what the crowd are expecting but they also expect to be surprised and delighted as well so we’re pretty confident we have got it right based on initial feedback.”

On Friday performers from across the world are set to take part in this year’s show Voices, which creators said has been inspired by people around the globe who, despite being separated, continue to connect and share their voices creatively through spoken word, song, music and dance.

The 2022 show includes performers from Canada, Germany and Australia, alongside other nations and homegrown talent from the UK.