"There's nothing like it really, it's one of the biggest indoor shows in the world."
Scotiabank Centre has been proud to host the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo almost every year since 1979. "Out of the gate, the Tattoo was different than a traditional military tattoo," says Executive Producer & Managing Director Scott Long. "There was always a lot of traditional civilian entertainment, and it has evolved into a family show." Over almost 40 years, the Tattoo is a diverse entertainment spectacle. With military bands, acrobats, stunt-bike drivers, cadets, squadrons, bagpipers, award-winning singers, and more, the Tattoo celebrates and honours our Canadian Armed Forces like no other show in the world. For 2024, with performances beginning June 28 to July 1, the Tattoo cast included Team Airtime stunt bikers from Germany, the Jambo Brothers from Kenya, the Music Man Project supported by Easter Seals Nova Scotia, Middlesex County Fifes & Drums, the Central Band of the UK's Royal Air Force, highland dancers, a variety of Canadian military bands, and a performance from Music Nova Scotia's 2023 Indigenous Artist of the Year Dee Dee Austin. With almost a month of pre-production, the Tattoo comes together every year through the work of hundreds of performers, volunteers, and dedicated staff. Watch what it takes to create a spectacle in our exclusive video below.
In the last few years, the Tattoo has offered all guests under 18 free tickets. "It's important for us to be as accessible to as many people as possible," Long says. "We want to make sure young people come and see the show." Over the last 40 years, the Tattoo has also grown in the diversity of acts and therefore the audience it attracts, with guests from across the generations. This year's theme, Horizons, celebrated how far the Tattoo has come and where it can go: "The possibilities are endless." The Tattoo also welcomed back familiar favourites like the Royal Canadian Navy's Stadacona Band and Germany's Marinemusikkorps Wilhelmshaven (or Wilhelmshaven Marine Music Corps). "It's been a tradition with the Tattoo to have our German friends participate, that's a must. But we always try to get as much family-friendly entertainment as we can." A truly unique spectacle, we can't wait for the Royal International Nova Scotia Tattoo in 2025.
