Experience the colorful performances of the singing magic fountains in Barcelona

Barcelona's Magic Fountain: Best enjoyed in the dark

Is the fountain in Barcelona open and operational?

Yes! After several years of being out of operation due to drought protection, the magic fountain will be performing again from October 2025! 

He is in Barcelona lots of sights, which is worth seeing even under the cover of darkness. But if there is one that is worth seeing only in the dark, it is certainly the famous singing magic fountain (Magic Fountain). After sunset, it offers an extraordinary spectacle that cannot be compared to anything else: get ready for an amazing combination of colors, music and water choreography.

Fountain show: Colors, music and water; photo © Francesco Panetta

An almost 100-year-old Barcelona gem

Singing fountain at the foot of the hill Montjuic It was built for the World Expo in 1929. A year before the event, its organizers began looking for "something special" that would dazzle visitors. The architect came up with the idea of ​​building a photo booth. Carles Buïgaswho decided to ingeniously combine water, light and color into one spectacular whole. 

At the time, few believed that the ambitious plan to build the largest building of its kind in Barcelona would succeed. The size and flamboyance of the entire fountain is proven by the fact that 3 workers took turns to build it during the year. In the end, everything worked out and the fountain at the world exhibition was fun for both young and old. 

Feedback from website readers on the fountain:

Iveta M. (August 2018): "The singing fountain (Font Màgica) is in the summer months from 21:30 p.m. At 20 p.m., people started sitting on the stairs, so we also sat down and expected the start at 20:30 p.m. By this time, the stairs were completely full. The show started at 21:30 p.m., but it was already incredibly crowded. The colorful fountain is beautiful, I'm just surprised they don't do something with the sound. If it was high-quality, clear and loud, it would be more exciting and engaging."

A busy history with a bright future

However, the fountain did not enjoy long-term operation - in the late 30s it was already marked by the Spanish Civil War and the sad result was its damage. It was restored under the supervision of its author in 1955.

While Buigas died in 1979, the fountain itself and all the techniques hidden behind it were being improved in the early 80s.

At this time, one important element was also added: music. The original fountain "shows" did not have a musical component at all - previously the fountain dazzled onlookers only with water and colored light. However, music added another dimension to everything. 

The fountain undoubtedly brought Barcelona its greatest fame in 1992, when the Olympic Games were held there and the fountain became a worldwide symbol of the city. 

The fountain in Barcelona has several names: singing, dancing or magical. 

What shows does the fountain offer?

Today, in the repertoire of the fountain, you can find various performances and light shows mainly based on music from films (The Godfather, Gladiator, Lord of the Rings,...) and classical and modern music (of course Barcelona by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé). 

If you would like the program of the fountain for a specific day, I recommend going to hers official Web, where you can select a date in the calendar and see exactly what is being played and when. 

What else is worth seeing in Barcelona after dark? Be sure to look at the beautifully lit cathedral Sagrada Familia (or if you have space, it's worth seeing both day and night), another Gaudí buildings like Casa Batlló (don't miss it night tours) or Casa Mila (night tours) and of course I must not forget the extraordinary Torre Glories. 

Admission is free, but...

No ticket is required to attend the fountain show, everything is free. You just need to come to the fountain, sit on the nearby steps or stand in a place with a good view, wait for it to start and then just enjoy it. Needless to say, free stuff is very popular, so if you want a good seat, I recommend being there at least an hour and a half to two hours in advance. If you are in Barcelona during the season, even half an hour before kick-off there will be a crowd...

The length of one block in the performance is half an hour. But definitely don't expect people to rotate or take turns here - once someone comes, they usually stay for the next few blocks until the end. 

The interest in the presented magic fountains in Barcelona is huge, be here soon!

I definitely recommend choosing a spot somewhere right next to the fountain, because the speakers are not very powerful and if you were to sit or stand somewhere further away, you wouldn't get any of it. Really. (When I was at the fountain for the first time, I sat up on the stairs to The National Museum of Catalan Art, that I would have a nice view there–yes, I did– but then halfway through I started running down to grab a better spot because I couldn't hear anything... :-)

Showtimes of the fountain or when to go here

You can enjoy the fountain in its full beauty after dark. Its operating hours depend on the specific month of the year:

• April 1 - May 31 a October 1 - October 31: every Thursday to Saturday from 21:00 to 22:00
• June 1 - September 30: every Wednesday to Sunday from 21:30 to 22:30
• November 1 - March 31: every Thursday to Saturday from 20:00 to 21:00

When there is enough water, the Barcelona fountain is also in operation during the day