Entertainment02 September, 20263 min read
Sukhvinder ‘Suki’ Singh Sunger Becomes First Turbaned Sikh Drum Major at 2026 Royal Edinburgh Tattoo
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Sukhvinder 'Suki' Singh Sunger is Vancouver police constable. He led the Vancouver Police Pipe Band as Drum Major at Edinburgh Tattoo.
Sikh officer’s Edinburgh debut
Constable Sukhvinder ‘Suki’ Singh Sunger of the Vancouver Police Pipe Band made history at the 2026 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland by becoming the first turbaned Sikh Drum Major to lead a performance at the event held at Edinburgh Castle.
“Drum Major Sukhvinder Sunger of the Vancouver Police Pipe Band, leading the entry at the Edinburgh Tattoo. BZ, Drum Major Sunger!”
The National Scot said Sunger wore his pipe band’s traditional Royal Stewart tartan kilt along with a specially designed ceremonial dastaar, which was black and tartan, as the Tattoo celebrated military bands from around the world.
News18 described the moment as a viral post on X in which user @martinintoronto shared an image of Sunger leading the entry and wrote, “Drum Major Sukhvinder Sunger of the Vancouver Police Pipe Band, leading the entry at the Edinburgh Tattoo. BZ, Drum Major Sunger!”
PTC Punjabi reported that Sunger was raised in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and that he began his policing career as a reserve constable with the Victoria Police Department before joining the Vancouver Police Department in 2002.
The Indian Express added that the 2026 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo ran from August 7 to 29 under the theme ‘A Call to Gather’, and that Sunger wore the band’s tartan kilt and accoutrements paired with a matching turban rather than the conventional feather bonnet.
Praise and racist backlash
The National Scot reported that while many people praised Sunger’s outfit, others expressed racist views about a Sikh man wearing traditionally Scottish dress, including one person calling it “an insult” and another calling it a “mockery”.
Derek Guy, a menswear writer, defended Sunger after receiving hostile comments, writing, “I retweeted this earlier today and received some hostile comments, so I thought I'd share a story,” and he said the photo showed Constable Sukhvinder Singh Sunger leading the Vancouver Police Pipe Band at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
News18 said Sunger was hailed online as the first turbaned Sikh drum major to lead a march at the event, and it quoted a user praising him as “Definitely stole the show! Proud ambassador for Vancouver. We loved seeing him in Edinburgh”.
The National Scot also described social media celebration of Sunger’s appearance, including Guy sharing images of the police officer at Edinburgh Castle with the fashion journalist saying, “What a tremendous outfit,”.
Khalsa Vox framed the appearance as symbolic on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade, saying Sunger wore the Vancouver Police Pipe Band’s traditional Royal Stewart tartan kilt complemented by a specially designed ceremonial dastaar.
Identity on a global stage
PTC Punjabi said Sunger became the first turbaned Sikh Drum Major to lead a performance at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland, bringing together Scottish pipe-band heritage and Sikh identity at Edinburgh Castle. The Indian Express reported that the Edinburgh Tattoo, themed ‘A Call to Gather’, featured massed pipes and drums from multiple nations, and that Sunger directed the Canadian band during its fourth appearance at the annual spectacle while making his first appearance at the Tattoo. PTC Punjabi added that Sunger’s policing profile includes a diploma in criminal justice and service as a United Nations peacekeeper in South Sudan, and it said he was elected Drum Major for a three-year term in December 2025.
The Times of India said Sunger joined the Vancouver Police Pipe Band around 2018-19, becoming its first Sikh member and first person of colour, and it described his role as placing him at the front of the band as its leader during major performances and ceremonies. The Indian Express noted that Sunger travelled to India in 2019 with the Vancouver Police Pipe Band to mark the centenary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and it said the band performed at the Golden Temple in Amritsar and Guru Nanak Dev University as part of that tour.