Every year the Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival crowns the end of the summer season in Moscow. One of the largest international cultural events in Russia, the Festival has no peers in terms of scope, content, and effect produced.
Over the twelve years of its history, the Spasskaya Tower Military Tattoo welcomed more than 160 artistic groups from 54 countries and secured its right to be among the top three such venues on par with the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, held in Scotland since 1950, and Basel Military Tattoo, held in Switzerland since 2006.
The geographical footprint of the Festival already spans all corners of the globe. In 2019 Moscow’s Red Square gave a warm welcome to 30 ensembles from 12 countries, including Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, the DPR of Korea, Norway, the Korean Republic, Russia, Turkey, and Japan, as well to the International Celtic Massed Pipes and Drums, and the International Celtic Dance Team.
The Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival is well-famous for its evening performances. As usual, ten splendid evening shows featuring some of the best Russian and foreign military bands and artistic groups as well as the most excellent honor guard units supported by the fine 3D mapping, strong theatrical performances and magnificent fireworks unfolded on Red Square to the delight of the audience.
Performances staged on the horse riding arena have also become an important part of the Festival’s program and its cultural life. 2019 was a very special year in the arena’s history, as it celebrated its tenth anniversary. Hence, the Kremlin Equestrian School, the Cavalry Escort of the Presidential Regiment and the Equestrian Band of the Tuva Republic presented their special programs onstage of the arena. It’s worth noting that every year more than fifteen thousand people watch the daytime equestrian shows absolutely free.
Besides its main program, the Spasskaya Tower Tattoo features a plethora of complementary activities and special projects including the Marching Parade of the Festival’s participants in Moscow’s parks, gardens and railway stations.
In August another run of the Military Bands in the City Parks came to its end. For three months in a row, the best military bands of the Russian Ministry of Defense, National Guard Forces, Emergencies Ministry, Federal Security and Federal Guard Services were performing in Moscow’s parks and gardens. All in all, the fourth season of the program featured 16 concerts onstage of 14 concert venues.
The Spasskaya Tower for Children with its Children Playground, annual Children and Youth Wind Bands Festival and Interregional Honor Guard Contest also saw its further development in 2019. Every day topic-related pavilions of the Children Playground were ready to welcome everyone onboard and take them into the splendid world of the Festival, offering various exhibitions, artistic master classes, quest games, contests, and other activities.
As usual, the Spasskaya Tower Festival devotes much of its attention to charity. Every year socially vulnerable categories of people, as well as educational institutions of Moscow, Moscow Region and other parts of Russia receive more than five thousands of free tickets.
Furthermore, the Spasskaya Tower International Military Tattoo is popular among all categories of audiences. The audiences of the Festival’s night shows only is over 90,000 people. All in all, more than half a million Muscovites and guests of the capital attend events executed by the Festival’s Directorate.
