Burj Khalifa Light Show & Dubai Fountain Timings (Reopened from 1 October 2025!)

One of Dubai’s most stunning and unmissable modern attractions is watching the Dubai Fountain Show on the Burj Khalifa Lake, Downtown Dubai.

In yet another Dubai world-record-breaking build, it is the largest dancing fountain show in the world.

Watching the Dubai Fountains is one of the best free things to do in Dubai at night – check out all of Dubai’s free attractions here.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: After a five month closure for an extensive revamp, including enhanced sound and lighting system installation, and improved choreography, the Dubai Fountains officially re-opened on 1 October 2025! A further closure for phase 2 is scheduled to take place in Q2 2026, after prime tourism season.

Dubai Fountain Show Timings

• Daily Evening Shows 6:00 PM – 11:00 PM every 30 minutes
• Seasonally, lunchtime performances at 1:00 PM and 1:30 PM (2:00 PM & 2:30 PM weekends)

Over Eid & Public Holidays the Dubai Mall fountain show times may change schedule and extra shows may be scheduled to run all afternoon through to midnight. The lunchtime performances have historically not run over Ramadan and start after Iftar – first show this year we expect will be 7:00 PM.

The Dubai Mall dancing fountain show runs for about 5 minutes at a time.

Burj Khalifa Light Show Timings

It’s nice to catch the first Dubai Fountain show at dusk and then return for a later nighttime show, when you can also capture the LED lighting displays on the Burj Khalifa from 7:45 PM. The Burj Khalifa light show runs every 30 minutes on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until 10.45 PM.

On weekdays, every hour from 7.45 PM

(Note that this program is subject to change! Every time we publish an update to these timings, we turn up and the timings are different from what Emaar advises on their website!)

This is a great stopgap entertainer while you’re waiting for the fountains. Often, the Burj Khalifa features special themed lightings for national and international celebrations, awareness campaigns, and special occasions – you can’t get a more prominent announcement than having it displayed on the Burj Khalifa!

Where Can I Watch the Fountain Show in Dubai?

The Dubai Fountain is built on a 30-acre lake, called Burj Khalifa Lake, or simply Burj Lake, which sits between the Dubai Mall, Souk Al Bahar, and Burj Khalifa. The fountains are choreographed to music, making it appear as though they are dancing; hence, they are often called “the Dancing Fountains of Dubai.”

They tend to alternate between classic Arabic music and modern pop songs.

The waterfront promenade in front of the Dubai Mall is the most popular and easiest location to view the Dubai Fountains – for free. It’s also one of the busiest. Most people tend to exit Dubai Mall from the central exit (underneath the mega Apple store – which also has an outdoor viewing balcony!)

This can be exceptionally crowded at peak times of the evening, 10 to 15 minutes before every show. Unless you are looking to cut across the bridge to Souk al Bahar, we DO NOT recommend you take this exit. If you are travelling with strollers, young children, the disabled, or the elderly, be really conscious of this.

Instead, if you head to the Lower Ground Floor exit near “At the Top”, at the Fashion Avenue end of the Dubai Mall, the exit here is far less crowded, and you will be in a better position to see the fountains and the Burj Khalifa.

There are plenty of other ways to ensure a good view of the Dubai Fountains, including:

• Taking a fountain lake ride on a traditional abra around Burj Lake (see more below!)
• Walk on to the Dubai Fountain Boardwalk (see more below!)
• Dining at one of the nearby restaurants with outdoor seating over the lake (see more below!)
• From the walkway around Souk Al Bahar
• From up above in one of the city’s towering skyscrapers, including At The Top Burj Khalifa

Please note that it’s best to arrive in position around 15 minutes before the show. The water will start to twinkle around 10 minutes before, and then the promenade lights will be dimmed in preparation.

Fountain Lake Ride – Seeing the Dubai Fountains From the Water

You can get up close to the performance on a wooden abra that circles Burj Khalifa Lake. The boats depart in timed slots, 15 minutes before each show (i.e., at quarter past and quarter to the hour), and last for 30 minutes.

• Advance Purchase Dubai Fountain Lake Ride tickets here
• They start at 5:45 PM and run until 11:15 PM
• The 2025 ticket price is AED 68.25 (with VAT) per person (all persons over 2 years old need their own ticket)

You can quickly check the availability of the Dubai Fountain Lake Ride here:

Note that these tickets are collected from At the Top (the Burj Khalifa ticketing counter) on the lower ground floor of the Dubai Mall. You must be organised well in advance, as it takes several minutes to get from the ticketing counter back to the “Lake Ride” entrance point on the promenade- and this is a very busy tourist area.

• We’d strongly suggest if you plan to go up the Burj Khalifa too, to buy combo tickets and collect them at the same time.

You can enhance your water experience by taking a Dubai Canal Cruise. This is on a much larger dhow boat and will include a 5-star dinner buffet, seeing the Dubai Canal highlights lit up at night, including IMAGINE at Dubai Festival City, and the new waterfall under Sheikh Zayed Road

• Advance purchase your Dubai Canal Cruise tickets here

(NB the dinner cruise departs from Dubai Festival City Mall, not Dubai Mall, at 7:00 PM nightly; the Dubai Mall fountains are a passing stop on a much longer itinerary, a superb way to capture many of the city’s best night shows on water. This is NOT the same thing as an abra on Burj Lake; in our opinion, the longer tour is better with more variety)

See the Fountains on a Night Tour of Dubai

Another touring option is to see the Dubai Fountains as part of a combined nighttime tour of the city’s highlights. This 4-hour private tour (available in English, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, or German) includes a stop at the Dubai Fountains.

• Check out ticket pricing for the Dubai night tour here

Dubai Fountain Boardwalk

The Dubai Fountain Boardwalk (also known as the Dubai Fountain Walk Bridge) is a floating platform from Burj Park, Downtown Dubai, which provides one of the most up-close experiences for viewing the fountains; at its closest point, you are only 9 metres away!

There is an entry charge to the Dubai Fountain Boardwalk of AED 20, but you can stay on the 272m long boardwalk as long as you like. Open 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM daily; children must be over 4 years old.

• You can buy a combined Burj Khalifa and Boardwalk ticket here

The Dubai Fountain Boardwalk is included in the “Dubai Pass” Select, Flexi Attraction and Unlimited packages

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Restaurants Overlooking Dubai Fountain

Both the Dubai Mall and Souk Al Bahar have many restaurants overlooking Burj Khalifa Lake. There are also nearby hotel restaurants (licenced) where you can catch a glimpse. This is the best way to experience the Dubai Mall fountains.

Catch our complete Dubai Fountain restaurant guide here

Our favourite Dubai Mall restaurants with fountains views

• On lower ground level try; Social House – casual international dining, Carluccios – Italian, Wafi Gourmet – Lebanese. For some quick bites, look out for Nandos, Pizza Hut, and KFC.
• Level 1 – OFK (Open Flame Kitchen) – upscale international
• Level 2 – Tribes – casual African dining with a great vibe

NB restaurants within Dubai Mall are all dry – i.e. they do not serve alcohol while hotels and those within Souk Al Bahar are licensed.

Our favourite Souk Al Bahar restaurants with fountain views

• Timeout Market – Mixed food stalls, cafes & bars
• Bice Mare – Italian Seafood
• The Tap House – Gastropub
• Abd el Wahab – Lebanese

Our favourite nearby restaurants with fountain views

• At.Mosphere – Level 122 Burj Khalifa
• Thiptara at Palace Downtown – Thai food with arguably the best terrace views! (Check it out in our guide to the most romantic restaurants in Dubai!)

Dubai Fountains – How to Get There

If you are not taking a taxi or self-parking, the most convenient way to access Dubai Mall is via Metro.

The most convenient stops are both on the red line:

• The Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall Metro Station is the closest, albeit it can be incredibly busy in peak times (around a 10-minute walk even with travellators).

• Business Bay Metro is a further away walk (around 15 minutes) but can be less busy in the evenings if you want to avoid walking through the mall.

Our complete guide here to Dubai Mall explains all of your options.

You could easily combine in one evening a trip to At the Top Burj Khalifa and seeing the fountains at ground level. It’s spectacular to see Downtown lit up from above, but more atmospheric, and to hear the music, you need to be nearby.

Nearby Attractions to Dubai Fountains

The Dubai Fountains are truly the tourist epicenter of the city. If you only have one night to spend exploring Dubai, this is probably where your night will start or end.

• You are immediately adjacent to the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa
• Easy to access from the fountains, “At The Top” Burj Khalifa observation deck
• The Dubai Opera house is within easy walking distance
• Burj Park is a lovely spot of green amidst the skyscrapers, making it great for photo ops too, you’ll easily spot the ‘3 fingers’ statue.
• Directly across the Lake from Burj Khalifa, look out for the ‘Wings of Mexico‘ photo opportunity in Burj Plaza
• With kids? Check out the Downtown Slide in Burj Plaza
• Within Dubai Mall, there are several family attractions including The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, kids edutainment centre Kidzania, VR Park for all your virtual reality games, and the giant Ice Skating Rink.

Where to Stay Near the Dubai Fountains

For those looking to stay close to Downtown and the fountains, there are plentiful accommodation options – it all depends on your group size and budget.

• Best Views – Palace Downtown – sensational contemporary Middle Eastern luxury and views you will never want to leave.

• Value pick – Rove Downtown, a 10-minute walk away and accessible via a crossing over Financial Centre Road, offers prices as low as $86 USD per night, making this an excellent central option.

• Family Pick – Roda Al Murooj Residences – this is our top pick for families as it includes apartment options with the luxury and facilities of a resort, about 8 minutes to Dubai Mall using the sky bridge attached to Kempinski The Boulevard (formerly Address Boulevard).

• Best proximity – Kempinski Central Avenue Dubai (formerly Address Dubai Mall) – accessible from within the mall. This is the best for ease of access, especially if you have elderly or disabled people in your group.

• The most luxurious option is the Armani Hotel Dubai, located within the Burj Khalifa, where you may even secure a room with a fountain view.

See all your nearby Downtown Dubai hotel and VRBO apartment options here:

Dubai Fountain Facts

First operational in May 2009, the Dubai Fountains predate even the opening of the Burj Khalifa! Here are just a few fun facts to know about the Dubai Fountains:

• The fountains cover over 900 feet in length
• High-pressure shooters are what make the fountains “dance”
• Super shooters can fire 240 feet into the air
• Water from the extreme shooters can shoot as high as 500 feet (a 50-story building!!)
• Up to 22,000 gallons of water can shoot into the air at any one point
• There are 6,600 Superlights and 25 colour projectors.
• The songs played vary between classical Arabic and contemporary hits
• The fountains were designed by WET Design, who also designed the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas

Pop over here if you want more Fun Facts About the Burj Khalifa!

More Frequently Asked Questions on the Downtown Dubai Fountains & Burj Light Show