Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo


The Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival is an annual military music event and military tattoo held in Moscow on Red Square. Participating in the festival are Russian and foreign military bands, folk groups, and honor guard units of foreign countries. More than 40 countries have taken part in the festival since 2006. It is named after the world-famous Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin. Its TV partner is TV Centre. The festival’s motto is "To Revive Traditions and Preserve History".
In 2020, the directorate of the festival became a full-fledged member of the Asian Marching Band Confederation.

Timeline

The following is an timeline of the festival's history:
The Bands in the Parks is a program sponsored bt Directorate of the Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival and is carried out from May to August in support of the Ministry of Defense of Russia and the Government of Moscow. The first of these performances took place at VDNKh in 2016 and was greeted with a standing ovation by Muscovites and guests of the capital. In the anniversary year a year later, the program of performances was expanded. The number of concerts and city venues involved in the project has increased.

Performers

Normally, each festival included a maximum of 12 countries, apart from Russia.

Foreign

Other participants have included Central Military Band of the Myanmar Armed Forces, the Republican Specialized Academic Lyceum of Music of the Uzbekistan National Guard and the National Presidential Band of Ukraine.

Russian performers

The President of Russia in his/her position as Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces usually delivers a message of congratulations to the organizers and participants of the festival. Greetings are also given by the Russian Defence Minister and the Mayor of Moscow. The day before the festival's opening ceremony, the directors of the participating bands lay wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Alexander Garden. The festival usually coincides with Moscow's City Day, which means that some of the participating bands take part in the procession along Tverskaya Street. It also takes part in an opening parade at the VDNKh. At the end of the festival, the combined bands will perform Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, after which they will march off while playing Farewell of Slavianka and all the band directors conduct all the participants as they pass by.

Musical Directors

The musical director of the festival is the senior director of music of the Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of Russia.
YearRussianForeign
2018Band of the Moscow Military Music CollegeBicycle Showband Crescendo
2019Central Military Band of the Ministry of Defense of RussiaCentral Military Band of the People's Liberation Army of China

Public Council

The public council is the organizing committee of the festival. Among its duties are the handing of invitations to the festival to foreign music bands, cultural groups and drill teams. The council is headed by the Senior Director of Music of the Band Service. Notable members of the council have included Lieutenant General Sergey Khlebnikov and Colonel Sergey Durygin

Gallery

Videos