Audience numbers held up despite the London bombings

Proms in the Park events were also held in Belfast, Glasgow, London, Manchester and Swansea.

Each city had its own concert before linking up via big screens with the Royal Albert Hall event.

Attendances for the season are said to have matched those of 2004, despite a slow start due to the London bombings.

New ticket initiatives have helped to more than double the number of under-16s attending concerts.

"The Proms audience has proved determined and resilient in the face of a difficult summer in London, and we have had magnificent concerts and many sell-outs," said director Nicholas Kenyon.

"Young audiences are up and young performers have provided some of our strongest highlights, creating a massive hope for our musical future."

Internet listeners

Opera singer Placido Domingo and Ravi Shankar were among the stars who graced the 111th Proms during its eight-week run.

The season also saw visits from international orchestras including the Royal Concertgebouw and Vienna Philharmonic.

A new Listen on Demand service allowing internet users to hear Proms concerts up to seven days after they were broadcast had a big appeal, the BBC said. About 10,000 people per Prom made use of the service.

Last Night highlights included performances from counter-tenor Andreas Scholl and guitar legend John Williams.