Organisers revealed the figure as the 2017 event at venues throughout Glasgow draws to a close.

Over the course of the 18-day festival, 2,375 musicians from 50 countries performed 800 hours of music, bosses said.

Events including concerts, ceilidhs, talks, workshops, free events and late-night sessions were held across 26 stages.

Around 80 per cent of the ticketed events, 176 out of 222, sold out during the festival.

Organisers said they included A Night For Angus, Martha Wainwright, Duncan Chisholm: The Gathering, and Karine Polwart's Wind Resistance.

Overall, the festival welcomed more than 110,000 attendances, reported our sister paper The Herald.

Donald Shaw, artistic director of Celtic Connections, said the last 18 days have been "exhilarating and unforgettable".

He said: "One of the many true joys of Celtic Connections is that within our tradition of Celtic music and international collaborations, we do not think about creative boundaries.

"Instead, we present on our stages some of the most brilliant musicians working today and explore the richness and diversity of the music we are celebrating.

"The journey we have been on through Celtic Connections 2017 has shown the power of live music to connect with individual lives and to resonate with the wider world in which we all live, and we are already looking forward to presenting Celtic Connections in 2018, in what is going to be a very special 25th anniversary year."

The festival is supported by Glasgow City Council and Creative Scotland, and delivered by Glasgow Life.

Councillor Archie Graham, chairman of Glasgow Life, said: "Celtic Connections is about celebrating our traditions, about building new international links and, through the education programme, helping to ensure that our Celtic musical heritage thrives long into the future, lighting up every month of the year for many generations to come."

Before the festival concluded, the future stars of Scottish and traditional music have been honoured at the Danny Kyle Open Stage.

A total of 71 acts took part in the event with a panel of judges then selecting six winners who returned for the finale.

They all earned a support slot at next year’s Celtic Connections as part of their prize.

Taking home a Danny this year were Glasgow singer-songwriter Marianne McGregor, English folk band An Dha, Glasgow funk band DopeSickFly, Scottish trad music outfit Avocet, Glasgow alternative folk band the Magpies and Gaelic electronica duo Whyte.