Burj Lake, where water dances to the rhythm of the music
One attraction of Dubai that we really love is the Dubai fountain light show. The Dubai Fountain is located on the Burj lake right in front of Burj Khalifa and outside the Dubai Mall.
Designed by the world-renowned WET Design, it is the world’s tallest performing fountain. It boasts a unique design of five circles of various sizes and two arches with powerful water nozzles that shoot water up to impressive heights.
Over 6600 lights and 25 colour projectors create a visual spectrum of over 1000 different water expressions. Meanwhile, 50 other projectors provide a full range of colour to the over 85.000 litres of water dancing in the air.
Obviously, the choreography of lights and water is synchronised with a range of different songs from classical to contemporary Arabic and world music.
The show runs every 30 minutes from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and lasts up to 5 minutes. There are also 2 performances in the daytime; at 1 p.m. and 1.30 p.m. (1.30 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Fridays).
Where to see the Fountains show
Once at Dubai Mall, just follow the signs to “Dubai fountain”, and you’ll get right in front of the Burj lake where the fountain is located.
It’s always very crowded, so you’ll have to elbow with the thousands of tourists to get the best position on the promenade right in front of the railing that borders the lake.
An excellent option to see the show is from the Apple store in the Dubai mall that boasts a terrace overlooking the lake and the Burj Khalifa. The store’s security guards allow to enter the terrace just a few people so…you can imagine the crowd….many tourists are always in line waiting their turn (at the moment, the terrace is closed).
Alternatively, you can kill two birds with one stone. Between the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa is located the EMAAR building that boasts several restaurants with an open terrace overlooking the lake; therefore, you can enjoy a dinner looking at the beautiful fountains light show.
Note: due to the covid-19 pandemic, the schedules and rules are subject to change at any time.
Boat ride experience and Dubai Fountains Boardwalk
If you want to get the most out of this fantastic attraction, you can purchase a boat ride on Burj Lake or enjoy it from a privileged position along the Fountains boardwalk.
The Fountain Boardwalk is 272 meters long floating viewing platform that allows you to walk onto the lake and see the fountains from up close (the closest point putting you only 9 meters away from them!). The fountain boardwalk is open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Nevertheless, the ride on a traditional wooden Abra boat on the Burj lake is another alternative way to enjoy the choreographed show of the Dubai Fountains up close without being surrounded by many tourists.
It’s a truly unique and almost personal experience since the boats can only host up to 6 people. The cruise lasts 30 minutes and runs from 5.45 p.m. to 11.30 p.m.
- Where to buy the ticket
The boat ride ticket can be purchased on the promenade at the kiosk in front of the Wafi Gourmet restaurant, and it costs 90 AED; the Boardwalk ticket is available at the Fountain promenade, Burj Park, and At The Top ticket counters (same as Burj Khalifa) and it costs 22.50 AED.
Alternatively, you can book in advance both your tickets through the Burj Khalifa official website or use one of the web platforms such as GetYourGuide.com or Viator.com which also offer combined packages with the Burj Khalifa observation decks and discounts.
