If you are visiting Barcelona and want to see something special without spending money, you will enjoy the Magic Fountain.
The Magic Fountain (also called Fuente Mágica) is based in Plaça Espanya, absolutely one of the most interesting squares in Barcelona.
It provides water and light shows together with entertainment to create a dazzling romantic evening performance with the magnificent back-lit Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya throughout the backdrop on the highest level of Montjüic.
The show takes place almost every day and you can enjoy it for free. Just a reason more not to lose it!
1. THE LIGHT SHOW AT MAGIC FOUNTAIN
You can enjoy the light show of the Magic Fountain almost every day. It is really spectacular and you shouldn’t miss it!
There are more than 7 billion possible combinations of water and light thanks to its advanced technology, so it’s almost sure that if you go there more times, you will see every time a different choreography.
2. HISTORY OF MAGIC FOUNTAIN
The Magic Fountain was built in 1929 by Carles Buïgas, a Catalan architect that designed several illuminated fountains.
It was built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition.
The fountain was constructed on the site where Josep Puig I Cadafalch’s Four Columns had remained before being thrashed in 1928. They were later reconstructed in 2010.
The mission of Buïgas heralded the creation of a modern technology of colour. Light will be used no more only to light the darkness but to exaggerate it as well. Using highly handcrafted techniques, up to 30 arrangements of water with various colours can be used.
Music was installed in the 1980s and entirely updated just before the 1992 Olympic Games. The pool, though, still retains a number of the original mechanics.
Throughout its past, the fountain was damaged, restored and rehabilitated many times.
In 2011 it was converted to a 3D choreography generator-powered computer system. That enables the fountain to be configured in just a few seconds to represent any tune.
The fountain has been using RGB LED technologies since 2014, allowing it more energy-efficient as it is offering actual power to each light source.
3. HOW TO ARRIVE TO MAGIC FOUNTAIN
The Magic Fountain is located in Plaça de Carles Buïgas, just two steps away from Plaça Espanya. The closest metro station is Espanya (red line L1 and green line L3).
You can check the directions to arrive there by clicking on the map below.
4. SHOW TIMES OF MAGIC FOUNTAIN
In the list below, you can find the opening hours to visit the unmissable spectacle of Magic Fountain. Enjoy it!
1 November – 5 January:
Thursday, Friday, Saturday | 20:00 – 21:00
7 January – 4 March:
Closed every day for maintenance
5 March – 31 March:
Thursday, Friday, Saturday | 20:00 – 21:00
1 April – 31 May:
Thursday, Friday, Saturday | 21:00 – 22:00
1 June – 30 September:
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday | 21:30 – 22:30
1 October – 31 October:
Thursday, Friday, Saturday | 21:00 – 22:00
5. WHAT’S NEAR THE MAGIC FOUNTAIN
MNAC – Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
MNAC is the national museum of Catalan visual art located in Barcelona.
The museum is located in the Montjuïc National Palace, close to the Magic Fountain.
We suggest you to visit it to immerse yourself in the Catalan culture and history. Inside the museum you can find both permanent and temporary collections.
If you want to visit the MNAC and you want to avoid long queues, you can buy your tickets online and skip the line!
Montjuic
Monjuic Hill is the closest escape from the city chaos that you can find in Barcelona.
Its name comes from the translation of “Jewish Mountain” from medieval Latin and Catalan.
In Montjuic you can find several tourist attractions that you can visit, among which some museums (especially MNAC and the Joan Miró Foundation), the Montjuic Castle, el Poble Espanyol (a little neighborhood where you can find a reconstruction of a typical Spanish town).
