Edinburgh Tattoo to head down under for run in Sydney stadium

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is to be staged in Australia for the first time as part of a drive to take the event overseas more regularly.

The ANZ Stadium in Sydney's Olympic Park will play host to the event for four nights in October 2019.

Around 166,000 spectators are expected to flock to the vast arena to see the cast of several hundreds musicians and dancers perform against a backdrop of a full-size replica of Edinburgh Castle.

It is thought the event will generate more than $37 million for the Sydney economy, with nearly 60,000 people expected to book an overnight trip to see the show.

The Tattoo was last staged in Australia in 2016 when Melbourne played host to the event.

Tattoo chiefs have previously set out ambitions to double the event’s turnover to £20 million by 2025 by taking the event around the world. North America, Canada, China, India and the Middle East are all on a list of potential locations.

Brigadier David Allfrey, chief executive of the Tattoo, said: “The relationship between The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and Australia runs broad and deep.

“We’re linked institutionally through the Commonwealth, the Scottish Diaspora, military bonds, shared history and experiences and so many individual friendships and family connections.

“It is a huge privilege for us to be invited to stage a Tattoo that stands to be bigger and more extraordinary than ever before.”

Adam Marshall, tourism and events minister for New South Wales, said: "The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has a proud history of delivering world-class, public military event which entertain and inspire people all over the world."