The Edinburgh International Festival has enjoyed a record-breaking year after generating £4m in ticket sales.

The Fringe also recorded a 7.7% increase in ticket sales, with almost 2.5 million tickets issued for 50,266 events.

The final performances drew to a close on Monday night as about 250,000 people watched a fireworks display over Edinburgh Castle.

Millions of people have visited the Scottish capital throughout August to watch comedy, theatre and music shows as well as a number of free outdoor performances which mark the peak of the city's year-round festivals calendar and the height of its tourist season.

This year was Shona McCarthy's first as chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe society.

Ms McCarthy said: "In 2016, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has once again been a spectacular success, welcoming performers and audiences from across the globe, and issuing an estimated 2,475,143 tickets.

"We hope that all those who attended ticketed shows, as well as the thousands of people who attended the 643 free shows in the programme, truly enjoyed their Fringe experience.

"The Fringe plays an essential role in the global arts community, providing a platform for artists from around the UK and the rest of the world to showcase their work and make new connections.

"With 48 countries represented in this year's programme, the breadth and diversity of talent on offer has been astounding.

"We are now looking forward to our 70th anniversary celebrations in 2017 and hope that as many people as possible will join us to mark this fantastic milestone in the history of Edinburgh's festivals."

Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) director Fergus Linehan said: "At the end of three incredible weeks, all that remains is for us to thank the hundreds of artists and hundreds of thousands of audience members who continue to make the EIF one of the wonders of the arts world.

"The International Festival has always been a place for people of all nationalities to meet and exchange ideas and we've seen that everywhere across the city these past three weeks.

"In uncertain times, events like this feel ever more important, and we at EIF are honoured to have been able to host, inspire, entertain and moreover welcome so many artists and visitors from all over the world to our city."

As well as the EIF and the Festival Fringe, the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh International Television Festival and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo also all get under way in August, making the city a hive of activity over the 25 days.