Lithuania marks the 31st anniversary of withdrawal of the occupying Soviet forces from the Lithuanian territory, Freedom Day. To mark the occasion, the Lithuanian Armed Forces organizes the Military Tattoo Lithuania 2024 international NATO military band festival. On August 24 armed forces bands from the United States of America, Poland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Germanys will play different musical pieces to the audience at Kalnų Park in Vilnius.
The event will kick off with a parade of Lithuanian Armed Forces and Allied military bands from Lukiškės Square. The audience will be able to enjoy the main concert at Kalnų Park from 8.30 p.m.: old and good and brand new pieces of music will be played live by armed forces bands of Lithuania and NATO Allies together with Lithuania’s most popular artists and complemented by unique show, choreography created for the music and different elements of military formations.
The festival will be taped and broadcasted on LRT television on August 31.
Military Tattoo: history
While associated with body art in English-speaking countries, the word “tattoo” derives from a Dutch phrase doe den tap toe, meaning “time to turn off the taps” and standing for a signal to tavern owners and soldiers to go back to the barracks after the night in town. Eventually the word for return call issued by drummers and trumpeters lost its original sense and started meaning the name of military band festivals with light effects organized during the summertime and especially widely popular across Europe, Africa, Asia and the United States as of the 20th century. Such events became particularly frequent during the World War I and II.
Festival program (to be updated)
August 24:
6.30 p.m. The parade of Lithuanian Armed Forces and Allied bands down Gediminas Avenue;
8.30 p.m. The main Military Tattoo concert (free entrance) at Kalnų Park.
Patron: President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda
Organizer: Lithuanian Armed Forces
Partners: City Council of Vilnius
Media partner: LRT
No entrance fee.
