Edinburgh Military Tattoo to celebrate natural Scotland
The Edinburgh Tattoo will celebrate the Year of Natural Scotland and "Our Wonderful World" in 80 different musical items this year.
Tornado and Typhoon aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth and Leuchars will take part in a flypast on a number of evenings during the show's 24 performances.
At least 220,000 visitors will see the show over the three-weeks of the Edinburgh Castle esplanade event.
The 64th Edinburgh Tattoo will run from 2 - 24 August.
More than 95% of tickets for the 24-performances have already been sold.
There will be new state-of-the-art projection and lighting equipment used in the show.
Brigadier David Allfrey, Edinburgh Tattoo chief executive and producer, said: "We are hugely excited.
"The show contains over 80 different musical numbers and we have some remarkable acts both from the United Kingdom and further afield - some of which are at the tattoo for their first outing."
The performances will start with schoolchildren from Erskine Stewart's Melville College and actors from the Lyceum Youth Theatre simulating a volcanic lava flow.
There will then be an opening fanfare as Highland pipers, followed by The Band of the Irish Guards, The Band and Bugles of the Rifles, and The Band of the Royal Logistics Corps and Corps of Drums march onto the esplanade.
Pipers and drummers from around the world will join the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The 1st Battalion Scots Guards, The 1st Royal Tank Regiment, The 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment, The Wallace Pipes and Drums Malta and The Pipes and Drums of The Royal Guard of Oman to play at the event.
Re-enacting the beginning of time to the tune The Rhythm of Life will be the tattoo's 50-strong Highland Dance troupe.
The Republic of Korea Ministry of National Defence Band and Dancers will herald the approach of Spring, with their performance, which will also mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.
This section will also feature Imps Motor Cycle Display Team, a Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo favourite.
The theme of summer then follows with an "energetic fiesta" from the Monumental Jaguares Marching Band, the Mexican Folk Dance Company Tenochtitlan, and Mariachi Oro de Mexico.
Autumn is celebrated by the New Zealand Army Band paying tribute to Maori Haka.
As dusk descends, they are joined by the Locheil Marching Drill Team.
Winter is then represented by the Central Orchestra of the General Staff of the Mongolian Armed Forces.
Brigadier Allfrey said: "The Four Seasons, Night and Day, Life and Death - these perennial cycles govern our lives, our evolution and the extraordinary diversity of our planet.
"We have been able to match each element with its own character and style."
Then bands of the Irish Guards, the Royal Logistic Corps and The Rifles join the Massed Military Bands against back projections of indigenous flora and fauna.
Concluding this sequence is a Parade of Animals introducing, on selected nights, the life-sized horse puppet Joey from the award-winning production of War Horse.
The finale sees Nasa imagery and synchronised fireworks used to show the solar system and highlight that our planet "is only a tiny participant in a vast and humbling greater scheme of things".