The eighth annual Merchant City Festival has been hailed as a huge success helping it to become one of the most exciting and colourful fixtures of Glasgow's vibrant events' calendar.

The four day event which took place from Friday the 24th of September till Sunday the 27th of September included over 300 performances across 80 venues and attracted a record number of visitors with over 65,000 people attending. Audience numbers on Saturday were 30% higher than the previous year and much of this increase was attributed to the strong links and partnerships which have been forged by the organisers with groups from across the world.

The Merchant City has enjoyed a quiet renaissance over the last few years to restore its former glory and put it back on the map once again as one of Glasgow's most iconic quarters.

Attending the festival Sandra White MSP said: "Living in the City Centre myself it was great to see so many people enjoying the festival. I have watched it go from strength to strength since its beginnings and this year was by far the biggest yet, congratulations to all those involved in this year's festival.

"It also had a truly cosmopolitan feel to it and speaking to local residents and tourists they all seemed to have had a fantastic time."

Also attending the Festival Anne McLaughlin MSP said: "I would join Sandra in congratulating the organisers. I went along on Sunday with my family and the atmosphere was fantastic.

Everywhere you turned there was a continental market stall or street theatre - the Merchant City was absolutely buzzing.

"There was so much to choose from but my personal highlights were the Latin-American style Carnival Collective and the hilarious hustings between two politicians who started off yelling at each other and ended up forming a coalition!"

Note:

S3M-4947 Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): Glasgow’s Cultural Quarter
That the Parliament congratulates all those involved in the 8th annual Merchant City Festival in Glasgow, which saw a record number of visitors attending the vast array of performances across the Merchant City; welcomes the festival’s enormous growth since its inception, to become one of Scotland’s most exciting and successful multi-arts platforms, and believes that the area’s rich cultural and architectural tapestry further cements the immense national and international appeal of Glasgow.