Ticket sales for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe increased 12% on last year, organisers have announced.

Following 49,497 performances of shows staged in 299 venues across the Scottish capital, the arts festival comes to an end today.

A total of 2,183,591 tickets were issued for 3,193 shows by Monday afternoon, with hundreds of performances still to take place.

Kath M Mainland, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: "Once again audiences from Edinburgh, Scotland, the UK and across the globe have been exposed to a completely fantastic cultural experience. Over the last 25 days, performers, writers and artists have given their all on stages across Edinburgh in a truly international celebration of culture and entertainment.

"On behalf of everyone who visited and enjoyed this year's Fringe, I would like to thank all of the immensely talented and courageous participants who brought their work to the Scottish capital during August - without them this festival would simply not be possible.

"It's wonderful that after 67 years the Fringe remains the ultimate destination for audiences to embrace the arts."

Last year saw an estimated 1,943,493 tickets sold for shows and events in 273 venues.