THE Merchant City Festival has been hailed a massive success after thousands of people took to the streets for five days of colourful celebrations.

Now in its eleventh year, the event showcased the best street art, music, theatre, dance, comedy, food and drink, that Glasgow has to offer.

It is estimated more than 95,000 people flocked to the Merchant City for the event, attending more than 300 performances in 75 venues.

Visitors enjoyed hundreds of stalls offering everything from clothing and crafts to jewellery, as well as colourful food stalls with something for every taste.

Among the more interesting sights were the Fish Out of Water street artists, who entertained festival-goers with their antics.

In Brunswick Street, French artist Olivier Grossetete, enlisted the help of locals to help build a 60ft cardboard box tower, left – and then push it over.

Olivier, from Marseille, said: "Part of the fun is destroying it at the end – children love that part and jump all over it."

One of the earlier highlights was the Big Man Walking parade, which saw a eight-metre tall puppet walk through the Merchant City.

People stared in disbelief as he went on his first-ever walkabout around Glasgow, on Friday, to mark the start of the festival weekend.

As featured in the Evening Times, the giant blue creature, which was created by Vision Mechanics, set off from George Square and toured the area, terrifying and delighting visitors in equal measure.

Gordon Matheson, leader of Glasgow City Council and chairman of the Merchant City Festival, said: "We promised the most ambitious, wide-ranging, colourful and inclusive festival ever.

"An incredible programme and the good weather we've enjoyed over the last few days have created a tangible buzz across the city's cultural centre."

"Some 95,000 people have come to to enjoy some of the 300 events that have been taking place."

rebeccca.gray@ heraldandtimes.co.uk