# Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, Barcelona > The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc is a huge fountain below the Palau Nacional, built for the 1929 International Exposition. In the evening it puts on a free show, with jets dancing to music and changing colour while thousands of people gather on the surrounding steps. A show lasts about half an hour; the schedule varies by season, and shows are cancelled during droughts. Web page: https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/magic-fountain - City: [Barcelona](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona), Spain - YesGo score: 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - Opening hours: Evening shows on set days - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free - Shows: Evenings, on set days of the week - Length: ≈ 30 minutes - Highlights: Water, light and music, the palace view - Drought: Shows may be cancelled - Location: Montjuïc, Espanya metro (L1, L3) - Coordinates: 41.37114, 2.15173 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1929** — built for the International Exposition (source: English Wikipedia) - **Carles Buïgas** — designed the fountain (source: English Wikipedia) - **1980s** — music was added to the show (source: English Wikipedia) - **≈ 30 min** — length of an evening show (source: English Wikipedia) ## About the Magic Fountain The engineer **Carles Buïgas** designed the fountain for the **1929 International Exposition**, on the exhibition's main axis between Plaça d'Espanya and the Palau Nacional, amid a cascade of steps and pools. Even then its play of water and coloured light amazed visitors, earning it the name 'magic'. **Music** was added in the **1980s**, and by the 1992 Olympics the fountain had become a city symbol. Today its evening shows are among Barcelona's most popular free attractions: to classical music, opera, pop hits and film scores, the jets rise, fall and change colour. ## What the show is like The show begins at dusk, when the lights come on. Each performance is a series of musical numbers, and the fountain 'dances' differently to each, sometimes raising tall slow columns of water, sometimes bursting into fans of spray, with light shifting from gold to pink and blue. Behind the fountain the **Palau Nacional** is floodlit, and from the steps you look down over Plaça d'Espanya and its twin towers. Children and adults alike love it, and the atmosphere of thousands of people sitting on the steps under a warm evening sky is part of the experience. ## What to see around it - **The fountain** — water, light and music. - **Palau Nacional** — the floodlit palace above. - **The cascade** — steps and pools up to the palace. - **The Four Columns** — tall Ionic columns by the fountain. - **Plaça d'Espanya** — its towers and fountain below. - **The palace terrace** — the show and city from above. > **Checking the schedule** Shows don't run every day: more often in summer, including weekdays, mostly on Fridays and Saturdays in winter, and the fountain may be off for long spells in January and during droughts. Barcelona City Council publishes the exact schedule on its website, so check it on the day. ## Where to watch from Closest is right by the basin, but it's crowded and you may get splashed. The best view is from the **steps** above the fountain on the way up to the Palau Nacional, taking in the whole fountain, Plaça d'Espanya and the city lights. Higher up, by the palace, there's more room and a view from above with the panorama. Arrive 20 to 30 minutes early to get a spot on the steps. After the show the whole crowd heads for the metro at once, so linger a while, stroll on Montjuïc or have a drink in a bar by Plaça d'Espanya until it thins out. ## How to get to the fountain 1. Metro **Espanya** (L1, L3), exit to Plaça d'Espanya, then 5 to 7 minutes up the avenue. 2. Walk up Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina between the two towers, straight to the fountain. 3. Escalators climb from the fountain to the [Palau Nacional](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/mnac). 4. From [Montjuïc](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/montjuic), walk down through the gardens. ## Tips for your visit Pickpockets work the crowd, so keep your phone and bag close. Bring water and a light jumper, as it can get cool and damp by the fountain at night. With small children, sit on the upper steps where it's less crowded. The show pairs well with an evening at the National Art Museum of Catalonia and sunset on its terrace, just a couple of minutes down the steps. Have dinner afterwards in Poble-sec at the foot of Montjuïc, full of tapas bars. ## Before the show Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Check the show schedule on the city's site - [ ] Arrive 20–30 minutes early - [ ] Grab a spot on the steps - [ ] Keep your phone and bag close - [ ] Have dinner in Poble-sec afterwards ## Places in Barcelona: compare and choose Places in Barcelona rated by YesGo. - [La Rambla](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/la-rambla) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free - [Magic Fountain of Montjuïc](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/magic-fountain) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Torre Glòries](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/torre-glories) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Viewpoint paid ## Don't mix it up The Magic Fountain isn't the cascade in Parc de la Ciutadella, which has no evening show. ## Tips - Check the schedule on the day. - Arrive half an hour early. - Best view from the steps. - Keep your belongings close. ## Questions ### When is the Magic Fountain show in Barcelona? In the evening on set days: more often in summer, mostly Fridays and Saturdays in winter; see the city council's site. ### Is the Magic Fountain show free? Yes, it's free. ### How long is the show? About 30 minutes. ### Where is the Magic Fountain? On Montjuïc, between Plaça d'Espanya and the Palau Nacional; Espanya metro. ### Where is the best place to watch? From the steps above the fountain, on the way up to the Palau Nacional. ### Does the fountain run in winter? Yes, less often; shows may be cancelled in January and during droughts. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. The show schedule wasn't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Magic Fountain of Montjuïc - Barcelona City Council schedule, barcelona.cat --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.