Festival attracts 30,000 visitors

Electroglide Angels welcomed thousands to the Merchant City

Tens of thousands of people attended an international festival over five-days in Glasgow's "cultural quarter".

The 2006 Merchant City Festival saw 300 hundred events held in 70 venues including restaurants and bars.

About 30,000 people attended the festival which celebrated Scottish arts and attracted international artists including street theatre.

Artistic Director Neil Butler said: "It has the potential to become one of Europe's leading cultural events."

In pictures: 2006 Merchant City Festival

This year also saw the development of Merchant City Mix, a showcase of short films produced by emerging Scottish film talent.

Gordon Matheson, chair of the festival, said: "Thousands of people have been able to experience the special buzz that makes the Merchant City unquestionably Glasgow's cultural quarter."

Festival-goers attended a sell-out screening of the 1929 silent movie, The New Babylon, with live performance of the Shostakovich score by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.