Tilbury Douglas, a leading UK building, infrastructure, engineering and fit-out company, has completed the handover of the grandstand infrastructure for The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo for the 13th year, marking the 11th consecutive year of delivering one of Scotland's most iconic live events.
Working on the historic Edinburgh Castle Esplanade, the team assembled a temporary 9,000-seat stadium that will host 24 performances throughout August. More than 220,000 spectators are expected to attend, with an estimated global television audience of around 100 million.
The project extends a long-standing partnership with The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Converting the Castle Esplanade into a world-class performance venue demands meticulous planning, close collaboration and precise execution, culminating in a safe handover for rehearsals and live shows.
This complex engineering effort involves installing more than 800 tonnes of steel across over 6,800 individual sections, completing around 1,700 crane lifts and laying approximately 35 miles of cabling.
Delivered at one of Scotland's busiest visitor attractions, construction was carefully managed while Edinburgh Castle remained open to around 12,000 visitors daily. Key priorities included maintaining safe pedestrian routes, protecting the historic environment and minimising disruption, in coordination with The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Historic Environment Scotland and the wider project team.
Barry O'Hagan, Regional Director – Scotland at Tilbury Douglas, said: "We are delighted to have successfully handed over the grandstands for The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, continuing what has become a valued 13-year partnership.
"This is one of the most logistically challenging projects we deliver and its continued success is a credit to our team, supply chain partners and everyone involved. Delivering a project of this scale within the historic setting of Edinburgh Castle, while the Castle remains open to thousands of visitors every day, requires careful planning, close collaboration and excellent programme management.
"The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is such an iconic event for Scotland and it is a real privilege for Tilbury Douglas to play a part in bringing it to life each year. We are very proud of what the team continues to achieve and look forward to another successful Tattoo."
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Chief Executive, Jason Barrett, added: "Thanks to Tilbury Douglas and our hard working operations team, our world-renowned Edinburgh Castle Arena is ready to welcome thousands of spectators from across the globe once again this summer. There's nowhere more iconic for an outdoor show, and we're proud to deliver our successful events, in partnership with all our important stakeholders, year on year right here in Edinburgh."
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