Brisbane City Hall, one of Australia’s most beloved heritage buildings, turned into a giant Scottish flag on Wednesday night. VisitScotland projected the official Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo tartan across its iconic sandstone pillars, creating a jaw-dropping sight that stopped traffic and packed King George Square with thousands of phone-waving spectators.
The surprise illumination marks the first major activation of Scotland’s biggest-ever tourism push into Australia and New Zealand ahead of 2026.
Tattoo Heads Down Under for the First Time
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will perform in Australia for the very first time in 2026. Shows are locked in for Brisbane and Auckland as part of the Tattoo’s 75th anniversary celebrations.
More than 500 performers, including massed pipes and drums, dancers, and military bands, will bring the world-famous Edinburgh spectacle to Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane across multiple nights.
This is the biggest Scottish cultural export to Australia in decades.
VisitScotland timed the City Hall lighting perfectly. It happened just hours after the Tattoo officially announced its Australian dates, creating instant buzz across social media. Videos of the tartan pillars have already racked up hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok and Instagram.
Why Scotland is Betting Big on 2026
Glasgow hosts the Commonwealth Games in 2026. That alone puts Scotland front and centre on the world stage.
But the country is using the moment to launch its most ambitious tourism campaign ever. VisitScotland wants Australians and Kiwis to do more than watch the Games on TV. They want them on planes heading north the same year.
Jill Walker, VisitScotland’s Director of Marketing, told reporters in Brisbane: “Australians have always loved Scotland, but many still think it’s just castles and Loch Ness. We are showing them a country that is changing fast, with new experiences you can’t find anywhere else.”
The New Scotland Australians Will Discover
Several major attractions open or reopen in 2026, perfectly timed for Commonwealth Games visitors and beyond.
Here are the big ones:
- Inverness Castle Experience – a £30 million transformation turns the historic castle into a world-class visitor gateway to the Highlands
- Paisley Museum – the £45 million redevelopment makes it one of Europe’s most significant cultural reopenings of the decade
- Calanais Standing Stones Visitor Centre – completely rebuilt on the Isle of Lewis with stunning new exhibits about the 5,000-year-old stones
- New dark sky observatories in Galloway and the Borders – perfect for Australia’s growing noctourism trend
- Floating saunas on Loch Tay and luxury wellbeing retreats across the Highlands
Scotland is deliberately targeting the exact kind of traveller Australians have become. People who want slow travel, wellness, authentic local experiences, and places that haven’t been overrun yet.
The Australia-Scotland Love Affair Runs Deep
Australians are already one of Scotland’s fastest-growing visitor markets. Pre-pandemic numbers showed 178,000 Australian visitors in 2019, spending £92 million.
The connections go way back.
Johnnie Walker first exported to Australia in the 1870s. Today, Scotch whisky remains Australia’s favourite spirit category. More than 40 million bottles are shipped Down Under every year.
Thousands of Australian families trace their roots to Scotland. The tartan lighting triggered an emotional response from many in the crowd who spotted their family or clan patterns in the display.
One Brisbane local told me: “My grandmother was from Glasgow. Seeing the tartan on City Hall made me cry. I’ve booked flights for 2026 already.”
A Smart, Emotional Play That’s Already Working
VisitScotland knows exactly what it’s doing.
By bringing a slice of Edinburgh to Brisbane’s most photographed building, they created a moment that feels personal, not corporate. People didn’t see an advertisement. They saw Scotland saying hello to its cousins across the world.
The timing is ruthless in the best way. With Commonwealth Games attention guaranteed, Scotland is making sure that when Australians think “where to next,” the answer is obvious.
Early signs show the strategy is paying off. Flight searches from Australia to Scotland jumped 68% in the 24 hours after the tartan lighting, according to forwardkeys data.
One thing is clear. In 2026, Scotland won’t just be hosting the Commonwealth Games.
It will be stealing the show.
What do you think? Are you tempted to book Scotland for 2026 after seeing the tartan glow in Brisbane? Drop your thoughts below and tag #ScotlandIsCalling when you share those City Hall photos.
