The Dubai Fountain is the world’s largest musical fountain and the city’s most popular free tourist attraction.
It is set on the Burj Khalifa Lake in Downtown Dubai, between the Dubai Mall, Souk Al Bahar, and the Burj Khalifa.
The fountain consists of a 275-metre-long central arc of jets, joined to a smaller arc and 5 circles of jets. When the performance begins these powerful jets shoot water sprays to heights of up to 150 metres, dancing in harmony with the music and illuminated by over 6,000 powerful lights, lasers, and 50 colour projectors.
The Dubai Fountain was designed by WET Design, the same company behind the fountains at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.
Show Timings
Performances of the Dubai Fountain are held daily and last up to 5 minutes. In 2022, evening shows begin at 6 pm and are every half hour until 11 pm.
Songs and Music The performances are choreographed to a variety of songs, from contemporary pop to classical and Arabic music.
In 2022, the repertoire includes I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston, Symphony No. 9 in E minor by Antonin Dvorak, The Magnificent Seven Theme by Elmer Bernstein, Dubai Another Planet by Rashed Al-Majed, Nessun Dorma by Puccini, La Vie en Rose by Edith Piaf, Baba Yetu by Christopher Tin, This Is Our Time by Hussain Al Jassmi, Almas and Mayssa Karaa, Wen Bie by Jacky Cheung, and Hero by Enrique Iglesias.
The song list changes regularly.
There are special shows on days such as New Year’s Eve and UAE National Day.
Views
Dubai Fountain performances can be seen for free from various locations around Downtown Dubai.
The most popular spot is the Waterfront Promenade outside the Dubai Mall. Just before the performance begins, thousands of people pour out of the mall and the area gets extremely busy. Visitors wishing to view it from here should arrive early to ensure a spot at the front.
The walkway around Souk Al Bahar is far less crowded and offers a more pleasant viewing experience. Spectators coming from the Dubai Mall will need to set off around 15 minutes before the performance begins to avoid the crowds at the Dubai Mall exit and the Souk Al Bahar Bridge.
If you’re looking for a place to watch the Dubai Fountain with plenty of room to move around and take photos or videos, Burj Park is your best bet. The area around the park is relatively uncrowded, so you’ll have plenty of space to set up your camera without feeling like you’re in anyone’s way.
Dubai Fountain Lake Ride and Boardwalk
A couple of paid viewing options for evening shows are also available. The Dubai Fountain Lake Ride offers visitors the chance to see the fountains up close by taking a traditional Arabic boat (abra) trip on the Burj Khalifa Lake.
A cheaper paid option is the Dubai Fountain Boardwalk. This floating viewing platform allows visitors to walk within 10 meters of the fountain.
At the time of writing (June 2022), tickets for the Lake Ride cost 68.25 AED (£14.9, €17.36, $18.58). Tickets for the Boardwalk cost 20 AED (£4.37, €5.09, $5.45).
Restaurants with Views – Dubai Mall and Souk Al Bahar
Another option for a fantastic view of the fountain show is to have dinner at one of the restaurants with outdoor seating areas overlooking Burj Lake. Advance booking or early arrival is recommended.
Restaurants with good views at the Dubai Mall include Tulum (Mexican), Colt (European), Huqqa (Turkish), Logma (Emirati), Opso (Mediterranean), Al Hallab (Lebanese), Bebabel (Lebanese), Open Flame Kitchen, Trove (International), Jones the Grocer, Din Tai Fung, Hurricane’s Grill (Steakhouse), Vapiano (Italian), Karam Beirut (Lebanese), Wafi Gourmet (Lebanese), Carluccio’s (Italian), Nando’s, Social House (International), Black Tap (Burgers), ZouZou (Turkish/Lebanese), Five Guys (Burgers), Texas de Brazil (Steakhouse), Hafiz Mustafa 1864 (Turkish), Tim Hortons, and PF Chang’s (Chinese).
Visitors should note that none of the restaurants at the Dubai Mall serve alcohol.
Several restaurants at Souk Al Bahar also offer fantastic views. These include Abd El Wahab (Lebanese), Bice Mare (Italian), Gunaydin (Turkish), Jovee (European/Japanese), Karma Kafe (Asian), The Meat Co (Steakhouse), Time Out Market, and Zahr El Laymoun (Lebanese). Many restaurants here serve alcohol.
The Apple Store at the Dubai Mall boasts a huge balcony. It’s also a good place to watch the Dubai Fountain.
Location
The Dubai Fountain is located on Burj Lake, at the centre of Downtown Dubai. The Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall lie immediately north. Burj Park is to the west and Souk Al Bahar is to the south. Most visitors access the fountain from the Dubai Mall.
The easiest way to get to the fountain is to take a Dubai Metro train to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall Metro Station. A covered walkway connects the station to the Dubai Mall and the Dubai Fountain.
Buses to the Dubai Mall/Dubai Fountain include:
- 27 – Gold Souq Bus Station (Deira) to Dubai Mall – Stops on the route include Union Metro Station, Al Jafiliya Bus Station, and DIFC.
- 28 – Oud Metha Bus Station to Dubai Mall – Stops on the route include ADCB Metro Station and Karama.
- 29 – Al Ghubaiba Bus Station (Bur Dubai) to Dubai Mall – Stops on the route include Sharaf DG Metro Station, BurJuman Metro Station, and DIFC.
- 50 – International City to Al Quoz – Stops on the route include Dubai Silicon Oasis and the Dubai Mall.
- 81 – Mall of the Emirates Bus Station to Dubai Mall – Stops on the route include the Burj Al Arab.
There’s a wealth of other attractions and things to do in Downtown Dubai.
Dubai Ice Rink is perfect for those looking to cool off in the heat. It’s a great place to take the family for an afternoon of fun. Kidzania is another popular spot with families. It’s an indoor amusement park where kids can play and learn at the same time.
For those interested in marine life, Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo is a must-visit. Here, you can see hundreds of species of aquatic creatures, including sharks and rays. The Dubai Opera is another cultural highlight of the area. Visitors can enjoy a variety of shows and performances at this world-class venue.
At The Top (Burj Khalifa) is another must-do while in Dubai. Ride up the world’s tallest building for breathtaking views of the city. No trip to Dubai would be complete without experiencing these attractions.
Can somebody tell me which song was played on 7th January 2020 at 8:00 pm?
We were a little disappointed with the show having read all the positive comments. The show only lasted 5 minutes, a shame it didn’t go longer. We have seen several more impressive displays around the world.
SUPERB!! Definitely worth watching!! An amazing show of light and water. Along with light show at Burj Khalifa and massive aquarium it make it worth coming to Dubai Mall
I was in Dubai this summer. I managed to see these fountains. These are the best emotions. A beautiful and engaging event. This is one of the biggest and highest fountains in the world! The height of jets emitted by water cannons, up to 150 meters, the backlight of the water is always white. Along the perimeter of the “lake”, there are powerful audio speakers, of which about 20 melodies sound: both Arabic music and world hits. The show is held every half hour from 18-00 to 22-00. We were lucky that when visiting the singing fountains at 20-00, was a bright and spectacular laser show was held on the tower of Burj Khalifa. But do not look at them from the window of the apple store. There is always a large number of people because about of this write a lot on the Internet. So it’s worth to go and enjoy this 7-minute show! You need to come a little early to take good places, although this is not necessary.
The Dubai Fountain was so amazing, I loved it there.
They should play “The Sound of Silence” by Disturbed. That would make a great addition to the fountain’s playlist.
Agreed!
Hi, can I request a song to be performed in the fountain?
Hello, can you please let me know if there is any schedule for the playlist? I’ll propose my girlfriend there and I’d like to do it when it will be a proper song. Thank you in advance.
Hello, could you tell me, which music is playing at the fountain area during the day and between fountain shows? It is just amazing!
which is the timing for “Time to say goodbye” song now? Thank you
Heello!
Are everyday the same songs?
Apart from watching from a restaurant around the water, where are the better places to watch the display ?
I loved the dancing fountain ____ superb!!!!!!!
How many songs are played at the fountain each show?
There’s one song per show.
Could you let me know Dubai Fountain musical cue sheets or music list?
There’s a list of the music used in the shows on the Dubai Fountain Wikipedia page. I’ve no idea how accurate it is now.
The dancing fountain played to Arabic music is fantastic and well worth a visit.
Can we ask who was the designer/contractor of the dancing fountain?
The Dubai Fountain was designed by WET Design, a California-based design and engineering firm. They also designed the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas.
They were built by Turner Construction.
What time are the fountain shows in the daytime?
Thanks for asking the question. We had the daytime fountain show times incorrect and have now updated them.
The daytime fountain shows at the Dubai Mall are at 1 pm and 1.30 pm. If you go on a Friday the shows are at 1.30 and 2 pm. Each show lasts about 5 minutes.
Personally I would wait for one of the evening shows. They look much better.
Spectacular – probably the best in the world!!