Hull City of Culture 2017 events attract millions

An installation titled We Are Hull by artist Zolst Balogh was projected onto buildings in the city centre

More than 3.5 million people attended City of Culture events in Hull, the city council said.

Among the biggest draws was the Blade installation - a 250ft (75m) rotor blade artwork - which attracted about a million visitors.

Artist Paul Cummins' poppy installation was seen by more than 800,000 people.

The city's museums have also notched up a record one million visits since the city began its reign as UK City of Culture in January.

It is the busiest the free attractions have been since records began in 1960, the council said.

Hotels in the city have also reported a surge in bookings, according to the authority.

The Blade was installed in Hull's Queen Victoria Square in January

The poppies were created to mark the World War One centenary

Jon Pywell, City, Culture and Place manager, said people were enthused by the City of Culture concept quickly because of the "amazing" start to the year, and the events that followed.

He said the figures had exceeded all expectations.

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Photographs featuring thousands of people posing naked and painted blue at locations across Hull were also on show.

Artist Spencer Tunick photographed 3,200 people at sites around the city for the Sea of Hull project.

Tunick's images were on show at Hull's Ferens Art Gallery

The year has seen a host of street performances, including a parade of beasts, giants and shape shifters

Hull also hosted the UK Pride parade in July

Back in January, a spectacular display of fireworks and giant video projections launched Hull's year as UK City of Culture.

The event, which organisers claimed to be bigger than London's New Year's Eve show, attracted about 340,000 people.

The opening event, which included a spectacular display of fireworks, attracted around 340,000

The Deep aquarium was also transformed by a giant animated projection

The council said more than £1bn of investment has flowed into the city since the UK City of Culture announcement.

Hull was the second city to be given UK City Culture status, following Derry-Londonderry in 2013. Coventry has been chosen to be the UK's City of Culture for 2021.