Monday sees one of Edinburgh's most keenly-awaited Festival ticket releases: the chance to get a half-price seat at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.  The Tattoo's main run is very close to selling out, but they've been holding back tickets for its "preview" - or as the less breathlessly enthusiastic might call it, the dress rehearsal.  The only date available is Thursday 5 August, at 9:30pm, but the good news is that all tickets come at a 50% discount.

Televised across the world, the Military Tattoo is by far the best-known single show of any of the Edinburgh Festivals.  A complete sell-out for the last ten years, the annual outdoor spectacle hosts a breathtaking programme drawn from across the Commonwealth - and it all happens in the spine-tingling surroundings of Edinburgh Castle's esplanade.

As you'd expect from an event organized by the military, even the preview is a highly-disciplined affair, and it's unlikely there'll be any major slips to spoil your experience of this unique event.  There's just one downside: the preview's the night they let the press photographers loose.  Their scurrying antics, as they try to grab the best snaps without being flattened by an advancing army, make an amusing sideshow in their own right.

How to get tickets

Tickets go on sale at 10am on Monday morning, and they won't last long, so we suggest you get on the case as soon as the big hand passes the hour.  They should be available both by phone - on 0131 225 1188 - and online at www.edinburgh-tattoo.co.uk.  If you're in Edinburgh, you can also present yourself at the Tattoo Office at 33-34 Market Street; confusingly, this is by Waverley Station, and nowhere near the Spirit of the Tattoo Visitor Centre on Castlehill.

To prepare yourself for Monday morning, take a look at the seating plan and pricing chart on the Tattoo's website - remembering that all tickets are half price.  Our original Ticket Alert from way back in December gives you our take on the best seats.

If you can't make the preview, there are a handful of full-price tickets still left for specific performance dates throughout August.  You can find an availability chart on the Tattoo's own website.