Welcome to MILITARYTATTOO.ORG, this website forms part of a project to keep alive the traditions of military tattoos. Many tattoos have come and gone over time however they are still a hugely popular entertainment wherever they are performed.

One of the best known tattoos in the world is staged in August each year on the Castle Esplanade in Edinburgh. The Edinburgh Tattoo forms the centrepiece of the Edinburgh Festival, an internationally renowned celebration of the arts. However, Edinburgh is a relative newcomer in the world of tattoos, as the first Edinburgh Tattoo wasn’t staged until 1950.

The word Tattoo is considerably older. It comes from the Dutch term Doe den tap toe which literally means ‘Turn off the taps’. It dates from the seventeenth century when the British Army were fighting in the Low Countries (Belgium and The Netherlands). Drummers from the garrison were sent out into the towns at 21:30hrs each evening to inform the soldiers that it was time to return to barracks. The process was known as Doe den tap toe and encouraged the inn keepers to ‘turn off the taps’, stop serving beer and send the soldier’s home for the night. The drummers continued to play until the curfew at 22:00hrs.

Over the years, the process became more of a show and often included the playing of the first post at 21:30hrs and the last post at 22:00hrs. Bands and displays were included and shows were often conducted under floodlight or searchlight. Some of the better known tattoos staged in the UK include: The Royal Tournament, Aldershot Tattoo, Tidworth Tattoo, Birmingham International Tattoo, SSAFA Searchlight Tattoo, Colchester Tattoo and Edinburgh Tattoo. There are also a number of successful overseas tattoos.