This years' Annual Exhibition has been billed as the largest ever by organisers, with visitor numbers exceeding 30,000.

Acting Director of Parks, Martin Brown last night attributed the large turnout to the glorious weather over the weekend.

More than 6,000 tickets were sold on Thursday, 12,000 on Friday and 12,000 on Saturday.

Mr. Brown said these figures did not include pre-sold tickets or staff and exhibitors' tickets and he was sure the number would be much higher once these were tallied.

While the number of visitors to the exhibition were up, the number of exhibits remained the same ? something Mr. Brown hoped would increase next year.

"I'm so proud of my staff and the department for being able to put on something the whole community can enjoy," he said.

A highlight of this years' exhibit was Cirque Magnifique which drew hundreds of spectators.

The show featured mesmerising aerial feats, stunning acrobatic performances and other dynamic displays of coordination and strength which sometimes included audience participation.