At the foot of the tallest building in the world there is an artificial lake, and every half hour or so through the evening the water in it is thrown a couple of hundred metres into the air in time to a piece of music. It is free, it happens repeatedly, and it draws a crowd that fills the promenade well before each performance. Knowing where to stand and roughly when to be there turns it from a scrum into one of the better free things in the city.
Where to watch
The promenade outside the mall, running along the water. The classic view, and full a good twenty minutes before each show.
The bridge that crosses to the souk side, which gives you the water with the tower directly behind it. This is where the photograph comes from.
The souk side terraces, quieter, further back, with a wider view.
Restaurant terraces facing the lake, which are the comfortable option and cost the price of dinner. Reserve.
The boardwalk platform out over the water, which is a paid ticket for a closer position.
The small boat that takes a handful of people onto the lake during a performance, which is the most expensive way to see it and genuinely different.
Timing
Shows repeat at regular intervals through the evening, starting in the late afternoon and running late.
Each one is short, a few minutes rather than a long programme.
The music changes between performances, so two in a row are not a repeat.
Timings shift seasonally and during Ramadan, and maintenance closures happen. Check on the day.
The crowd builds and disperses between shows, which is the whole opportunity.
The rest of the evening around it
The Burj Khalifa observation decks, on a timed ticket, best booked for a sunset slot.
The mall, which is enormous and has an aquarium, an ice rink and a waterfall inside it.
The souk on the far side, which is a modern building in traditional style with restaurants facing the water.
The Opera district behind, quieter, with a genuine programme.
Dinner facing the lake, which is the expensive but effortless version of the whole evening.
Practical notes
Evenings are busy every day and weekends are considerably worse.
It is outdoors, which from June to September means the promenade is still hot after dark.
Getting out afterwards is slow, and the metro station is a long walk through the mall.
Taxis cannot pick up directly at the promenade and there are designated ranks a walk away.
Pushchairs are fine on the promenade and awkward in the crush at showtime.
Where this fits in a Dubai trip
The fountain is the evening that anchors a Downtown day.
For where it sits among everything else in the city and what is genuinely worth your time, our guide to Dubai’s top attractions covers the whole list.
For the tower directly above it, the ticket tiers and which deck is worth paying for, our guide to Burj Khalifa tickets covers the booking.
And for the enormous building the promenade wraps around, which is a destination rather than a shop, our guide to Dubai’s malls covers what is inside.
The short version
Turn up for a show rather than hoping to catch one, and check the current timings on the day because they move seasonally. Watch the first performance from wherever you can stand, then walk to the bridge or the promenade for the second while everyone else is leaving. Book the Burj Khalifa for a sunset slot if you want the view from above and the fountain from below in the same evening. Eat facing the lake only if you have reserved, and allow real time to get away afterwards.
