Sculpture by the Sea draws the crowds

Sculpture by the Sea is set to break attendance records this year after bumper crowds attracted by the hot weather and broader awareness of the free art show at Cottesloe Beach.

Mindful of problems with parking at Perth's most popular beach, organisers urged people to catch the free Cott Catt shuttle bus service running every 15 minutes between Cottesloe train station and the beach from 10.30am to 5pm.

"We are pleased with our visitor numbers so far with a conservative estimate of 174,150 by the end of Sunday," Sculpture by the Sea director David Handley said.

With seven days to run, final attendances are expected to be well beyond the 214,000 visitors of last year.

Mr Handley said many people stayed away during the extreme heat of the day but numbers picked up closer to sunset.

Parking infringements on Saturday and Sunday had almost doubled from the summer weekend average of about 60 as drivers scrambled for spots along the beach, Cottesloe Town Council chief executive Carl Askew said.

Many people were walking longer distances than if they had parked at the train station, where they could catch the bus, Mr Askew said.

"We will never have enough car parking bays to cope with an event like this but turnover is pretty good. Probably the car park that is the emptiest is the one near the train station."

Toby Bell, whose large faux granite work Caliban sold before the event opened, is a favourite for the People's Choice award alongside Robin Yakinthou's running tap Just Another Conversation and Ayad Alqaragholli's balancing-act figures Highness.

Bell said he had been overwhelmed by the responses to his artwork and the general buzz among the artists and audiences.

"The event has a certain special magic to it. There is almost a festival feel to it and, with the beach being such an iconic place for Australians, it fits so well with our culture."

The People's Choice and Kids Choice awards will be announced on Sunday, the day before the exhibition closes.