More than 12
million people have taken part in the London 2012 Festival - the cultural
programme of the Olympics - according to organisers.
Their figures are based on ticket sales, attendance
figures and surveys of the UK population.
Approximately 2.9 million took part in a mass
bell-ringing session on the opening day of the games.
A further 9.6 million visited free events like Radio
1's Hackney Weekend and the Tate Modern's oil tanks (see picture).
Figures collated from venues showed another 2.5
million people had been to paid-for events such as the BBC Proms and
exhibitions of art by David Hockney and Damien Hirst.
Festival director Ruth MacKenzie, said she was
"delighted" and that audience numbers were "well ahead of
expectations".
There are at least another 5 million free places to
come, while the Edinburgh International Festival is also part of the Cultural
Olympiad.
All The Bells heralded the start of the Olympics at
8:12 BST on 27 July.
People around the country rang cowbells, church
bells, bicycle bells and doorbells to take part in the three-minute cacophony,
masterminded by Turner Prize winner Martin Creed.
Big Ben, HMS Belfast and the bell on board the royal
barge Gloriana, which was carrying the Olympic Flame down the River Thames,
were also involved.
Approximately 5.7% of the UK population took part,
rising to 9.6% in London, according to figures compiled by Neilsen, which used
a polling sample to estimate the 2.9m involved.
The London 2012 Festival incorporates more than
12,000 events, and will continue until the final day of the London Paralympic
Games on 9 September.
Source: BBC
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