Dubai has its rich share of world-breaking skyscrapers, attractions, and entertainment mediums, some are officially recognized by the Guinness World Records. And two of the latest globally recognized attractions in the city are the Dubai Fountain and The Palm Fountain.
If it’s your first time stepping foot in Dubai, you shouldn’t miss the best fountain shows in the city! Schedule your visit and plan the best experience with our guide.
Everything You Need to Know About Dubai Fountains
Large-scale Dubai fountains are some of the biggest and well-known attractions in the city. Hundreds to thousands of tourists and residents visit these fountains day after day. As such, you need guides that contain the best tips and information for a hassle-free experience. Here’s everything you need to know about Dubai fountains.
How Many Fountains Are There in Dubai?
There are two large-scale, widely-recognized, and publicly available fountains in Dubai: The Dubai Fountain in Downtown Dubai and the Palm Fountain at The Pointe on Palm Jumeirah. These fountains host choreographed shows and performances. There are, of course, small fountains scattered throughout the city—in parks, malls, amusement parks, and other areas.
Who Can Participate in Fountain Shows in Dubai?
Every Dubai fountain show is publicly open and offers live entertainment and attraction, so anyone is welcome to participate, stop by, and watch. Due to the size of the fountain, passersby and visitors can watch the show from various areas. Children and people of determination can ask assistance from nearby security staff to get a better view of the fountain on an elevated platform.
Are Dubai Fountains Safe and Regulated?
Dubai fountains at Downtown Dubai and The Palm are entirely safe; that’s why they’re open to the public. The fountains are surrounded by platforms, gates, fences, and other barriers, so children and visitors wouldn’t get close to the fountain easily while the show is going on and at all times. There is also security staff in the area that monitors the show and its participants.
COVID-19 Restrictions
Dubai fountains follow special health and safety measures to combat COVID-19. Attractions in Dubai are required by the World Health Organization (WHO) and local authorities to ensure social distancing among guests, sanitize high-touch areas and locations, conduct temperature checks for staff and guests, and promote contactless payments. The local government may limit the number of visitors a day based on local regulations.
Visitors, too, are required to follow individual safety protocols. Visitors should wear face masks while watching the show, avoid physical contact among staff and other visitors, and submit basic personal information for contact tracing purposes if required. Children and senior citizens may not be allowed to enter some viewing areas.
All these COVID-19 protocols are still subject to change daily, weekly, or monthly. The local and the national government could release amended safety protocols in the future and allow more visitors to watch the fountain shows as the pandemic progresses and new solutions arise.
What are the Two Fountains in Dubai?
Dubai’s biggest and publicly available fountains are the Dubai Fountain and The Palm Fountain. Both provide free viewing access to tourists and visitors 24/7 and during live shows. Here are the features and offerings of the two fountains:
The Dubai Fountain
The Dubai Fountain is the tallest performing fountain in the world, standing at 900 feet above the ground. It offers choreographed water, music, and light experience, captivating its audience with a one-of-a-kind sensual and auditory experience.
The fountain was created with art and entertainment in mind. It comes with a unique design composed of five circles in different sizes and two arcs that feature powerful water nozzles that shoot water. Accompanying the water movements are the 6,600 WET Superlights and 25 color projectors in the fountain. The light system creates a visual spectrum of over 1,000 different water expressions and a wide color spectrum of 1.5 million lumens.
The Dubai Fountain show features a range of different songs, depending on the occasion and the theme of the day. It plays classic and contemporary Arabic and international music. Some of the best performances of the fountain are even backed by modern international songs like Thriller by Michael Jackson, Time to Say Goodbye by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman, and Power by K-pop group EXO.
Where is the Dubai Fountain Located?
The fountain sits at the foot of The Dubai Mall and within Burj Lake, the 30-acre man-made lake near Burj Khalifa. The fountain’s water jets are spread out in the area, taking a massive space about the length of two football pitches. These jets spit up approximately 22,000 gallons of water as high as 140 meters.
You can get a better view of the Dubai Fountain by entering The Dubai Fountain Boardwalk, a newly-built floating platform in the area. The Boardwalk allows you to get a closer look at the show. You can reach this area by crossing Burj Park or the Fountain promenade.
How to Get to Dubai Fountain
The Dubai Fountain is only 20 minutes away from the city center, but travelers with private or rented vehicles can easily reach it from other neighboring areas through Sheikh Zayed Rd/E11 in 17 minutes.
If you want to commute, city buses can take you to the Dubai Fountain and its surrounding areas. Take bus number 29, then alight at Burj View Central Tower – 02, Empire Heights Towers – 02, or Burj Khalifa, the Palace Hotel – 1, depending on your origin. It will take you a 3 to 10-minute walk from these stations to reach the Dubai Fountain. If you want to take the metro, ride the Red Line to the Burj Khalifa Metro Station. From there, you can take a 29-minute walk or ride a cab to reach the Dubai Fountain.
Dubai Fountain Timings
The Dubai Fountain is open 24 hours daily, but it hosts shows between 5:45 PM to 11:30 PM. The show starts and runs every 30 minutes. Dubai Fountain timings are adjusted during Ramadan and other public or city-wide holidays. Extra shows may run all afternoon through midnight, depending on the occasion.
Dubai Fountain Tickets
Dubai Fountain shows are generally free and can be watched across many locations from Downtown Dubai. However, you can upgrade your experience by watching the fountain show from a traditional “Abra” boat or water taxi on Burj Lake itself. Price ranges from 65 AED (17.70 USD) to 100 AED (27.23 USD), depending on the package.
Here’s a list of reputable travel and tour companies offering lake rides for the daily Dubai Fountain show:
The Palm Fountain
The Palm Fountain is a recently established, large-scale, artificial fountain on Palm Jumeirah. It officially opened on October 22, 2020. The fountain is currently the world’s largest seawater musical fountain, spread across an area of 14,366 square feet, and the world’s largest musical fountain as recognized by Guinness World Records.
Offering the best and largest musical fountain show, the Palm Fountain is equipped with 7,500 nozzles that can spray water up to 105 meters in the air and features over 3,000 LED lights. The light system lights up the sky in multiple colors over the ocean of Palm Jumeirah.
Like the Dubai Fountain, the Palm Fountain also incorporates choreographed performances backed by popular music to its shows. However, the Palm Fountain has its official and signature song entitled “Aim For The Sky”, composed by Emirati classical composer Ihab Darwish. The song honors the UAE’s culture and captures Dubai’s modernity. The Palm Fountain features the song regularly at The Pointe together with popular Khaleeji, pop, classic, and foreign music.
Where is The Palm Fountain Located?
The Palm Fountain is located at The Pointe shopping and dining district of Palm Jumeirah. The Pointe is a free-access beach that also houses a range of experiences in restaurants, cafés, and shopping outlets.
How to Get to the Palm Fountain
To reach the Pointe, you must go to The Palm Jumeirah, which is approximately 1 hour away from the city center, but travelers with private or rented vehicles can easily reach it from other neighboring areas through Al Khail Rd/D68 and/or Sheikh Zayed Rd/E11 in 45 to 50 minutes.
If you want to commute, city buses can take you to Palm Jumeirah and its surrounding areas. Take Buses 8, 83, 84, and F55A. If you want to take the metro, your only option is to take the Red Line and alight at the Dubai Internet City or Nakheel. After that, you’ll need to take a taxi. Taxi meters start at 5 AED (1.36 USD) from 6 to 10 PM and 5.50 AED (1.50 USD) from 10 PM to 6 AM.
The best way to reach the Pointe is to take a taxi from the bus and metro stations we’ve mentioned. If you have a private vehicle, you can park your car at The Pointe. Alternatively, you can alight at the Palm Gateway if you take the metro, ride the Palm Monorail to Atlantis Aquaventure, and take a walk to the Pointe.
The Palm Fountain Timings
The Palm Fountain is open for public viewing 24 hours daily, but it hosts shows between 7:00 PM to 11:30 PM from Sunday to Thursday and between 7:00 PM to 01:00 AM from Friday to Saturday. The show starts every 30 minutes and runs for approximately 3 minutes. It can host a maximum of 20 shows a day.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Palm Fountain may change its weekend and weekday timings from time to time. The Palm Fountain timings are also adjusted during Ramadan and other public or city-wide holidays. Special shows may run all afternoon through midnight, depending on the occasion.
The Palm Fountain Tickets
The Palm Fountain live shows are all free. Visitors can just head to The Pointe and watch the shows from any of the accessible locations, such as the pedestrian promenade connected to the mall. For the best experience, you can also dine and stay at the restaurants, bars, lounges, and cafes at The Pointe while watching the fountain show. If you want to get the best view, make sure you arrive earlier than your preferred daily fountain show schedule.
Preparation and Visiting Tips
Dubai fountain shows at The Pointe and Burj Lake are short experiences that leave lasting impressions. They’re one of the most accessible free attractions in the city, but it’s still best to plan and prepare for your visit to have a hassle-free viewing experience. Here are a few tips from us.
Clothing
The UAE, with Islam as its largest and official religion, is traditionally conservative. The safest thing to do if you plan to explore the city and watch public attractions like Dubai fountain shows is to wear a comfortable, conservative, and casual outfit. Some public areas in Dubai require clothing that covers your knees and shoulders.
Food and Dining
We highly advise you to avoid eating and drinking in public while the show is going on, especially if you’re walking around or standing on the platforms near the fountain. However, you can enjoy a drink or a meal if you booked a boat ride for the Dubai Fountain or you opted to stay at cafes and restaurants for the Palm Fountain.
Viewing Locations
Again, it’s best to arrive early to reserve the best viewing spot. This tip applies to both the Dubai Fountain and The Palm Fountain shows. You can get the best spots by arriving 15 to 20 minutes earlier than the posted Dubai Fountain timings. However, you’ll still surely encounter big crowds during weekends and public holidays.
What to Do After Watching Dubai Fountain Shows?
Dubai is home to many world-breaking attractions and free experiences. If you finally experienced your first fountain show, don’t forget to visit other record-breaking tourist attractions like the Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, or Dubai Miracle Garden. For more free attractions, visit AlSerkal Avenue, the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, or the Al Fahidi Historical District.
