The Basel Tattoo 2025

3 July 2025

After the Eurovision Song Contest and the European Youth Choir Festival, it is now the turn of the annual Basel Tattoo. From July 11 to 19, the Basel Tattoo again unites the international music and entertainment scene in the courtyard of the Kaserne (Kasernehof) in Basel.

For the first time, the show will incorporate all the Scottish classics into the program, including hits like “Amazing Grace,” “Highland Cathedral,” and “Scotland the Brave”. The Flings and Things Highland Dancers will add a visual touch to the popular anthems, including a Scottish act, and enrich the show with innovative choreography and dynamic, elegant dance numbers. The Top Secret Drum Corps, the Basel drum stars, will present a new choreography and fascinating drumstick tricks.

In addition to these performances, visitors can look forward to the Bands of His Majesty’s Royal Marines, the Jordanian Armed Forces Band, the Royal Honor Guard Silent Drill Team and the Circassian Honor Guard, the Swiss Armed Forces Central Band, the United States Air Force Band, the Dutch Crescendo Bicycle Showband, the Band of the Police Academy of the State of Qatar,  the Marsa Scouts Pipes & Drums from Malta, the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Air Force, the Scotch College Pipe Band from Australia, the Scots College Old Boys Pipes & Drums from Australia, the Royal Guard of Oman Pipe Band, the Swiss Highlanders, the Basel Tattoo Choir and the Basel Tattoo Guard.

The Crescendo Bicycle Showband from the Netherlands combines music with artistic cycling, and the Band of the Police Academy of the State of Qatar expands the international field of participants with precise marching music and Arabic sounds.

The Basel Tattoo 2025 reaffirms its international character and its ambition to unite musical traditions from around the world in one arena, thereby building cultural bridges. The Tattoo parade will take place on 12Saturday, 12 July.

(Source and further information: Basel Tattoo)

Posts Scriptum

Doe den tap toe

By the way, the Old Dutch “doe den tap toe” (turn off the tap) is the origin of the Dutch word “taptoe,” which also became tattoo in German and English. “Doe den tap toe has a military context and means to turn off the beer tap. On the other hand, Heimweh (homesickness in English) is a Swiss word.

The beer taps were closed on the command ‘doe den tap toe’, often supported by a drum or trumpet signal. Over time, the term “tattoo” has become associated with military music festivals.