The Royal Tournament was the world's largest military tattoo and pageant, held by the British Armed Forces annually between 1880 and 1999.
Crowds began to flock to performances at the Agricultural hall; during the early 1900s the show outgrew its home and moved to the west London venue of Olympia.
After the Second World War, the Tournament once again moved to a larger stage and opened its doors to the public at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in 1950.
[citation needed] Towards the end ticket sales were insufficient to cover costs; the 1998 Royal Tournament made a loss.
On Monday 2 August 1999, the Royal Tournament closed for the final time to reduce military costs, following the 1998 Strategic Defence Review.