The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will feature performers from Mexico, Australia and New Zealand as well as the United States.
A capacity crowd of 8800 packed into the castle esplanade arena for the first performance of the event for three years were treated to renditions of the Williams it Let Me Entertain You, Rocky Horror crowd-pleaser Time Warp and and Rather Be, Clean Bandit’s hit with Jess Glynne.
Traditional elements, such as the drums and massed pipes or the Scotland the Brave were combined by spectular sequences set in Gaelic or Hebridean folk anthems. In the final show, Martyn Bennett’s Celtic music and festival favorites Skipinnish took centre stage.
Dramatic new special affects transformed the historic fortress and the esplanade for a Day of the Dead sequence staged by Mexican performers, a nightclub-style “electro pipes” sequence complete with fire and lasers, and dazzling precision drumming displays.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo runs until 27 August.
Versions of The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army anthem, Dua Lipa’s hit Don’t Start Now and the Tom Jones classic Delilah were also unveiled at the official curtain-raiser for the event, which has been revamped by the Tattoo’s first creative director, New Zealander Michael Braithwaite.
Writing in the official programme, Mr. Braithwaite said: “This year’s show offers an exhilarating array of tradition and innovation.
“From the power and beauty of the massive pipes and drums to our military performers and the spectacle and colour of our cultural groups to the energy and excitement of our singers or dancers, Voices will be the Tattoo that you love and take a bold step into the future.
It is difficult to put together a production of this scale. The challenge was 10-fold in this period of global pandemic.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo runs until 27 August.
“Despite these circumstances, I am struck by how people all over the world have managed to stay connected even in times of separation.
Voices celebrates the power and connection of humans. With music, song, dance, images, sound and light, these voices have reached out across the globe.”
Chief executive at Tattoo Buster Howes said: “This year’s show carefully integrates tradition and innovation, mass and individuality, exhilaration and pathos, surprise and humour, precision and exuberance.”
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo runs until 27 August.
