The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc

Tourists filming the Magic fountain with their mobile phones

I have to admit that the first time I visited the Magic Fountain, I was pretty sceptical.

Let’s face it, an illuminated fountain that changes colour in time to music sounds pretty cheesy!

All I can say is forget any preconceived ideas you might have and check it out.

Red lights illuminating the magic fountain, Barcelona

The sheer volume of water in movement makes the Magic Fountain a spectacle that shouldn’t be missed.

Magic Fountain Timetable

February 19th – March 31st & November 1st – January 6th

Friday and Saturday, 7 pm – 9 pm

April 1st – May 31st & September 1st – October 31st

Friday and Saturday, 9 pm – 10:30 pm

June 1st – August 31st

Thursday – Sunday 9pm – 11pm

Annual Maintenance 2022

The Magic Fountain will be closed from the eleventh of October to the twenty-first of December for annual maintenance.

View of the Magic Fountain from the steps in front of the MNAC museum, Montjuic

More information on the official website.

History of the Magic Fountain

The Magic Fountain was designed by Carles Buïgas for the 1929 Barcelona World Fair and is located in front of the MNAC museum near Plaça Espanya.

The fountain retains most of the original mechanisms and moves 2600 litres of water per second!

Initially, the show was silent, apart from the sound of the fountain itself.

The magic fountain and MNAC museum lit up at night

Classical music was added in the 1980s and was later replaced by pop music.

Entry Fee

Free of Charge

Time needed to visit

The display lasts approximately half an hour

Location

Plaça de Carles Buïgas

How to get there

The nearest metro station is Plaça España on the red and green lines (L1 & L3)

Other Attractions nearby

The Magic fountain and the MNAC museum Montjuic Barcelona
The Magic Fountain by day

Map

6 comments

  1. Hi Richard,

    We are travelling with children to Barcelona on 23rd October into BCN T1 and are staying at hotel Aparthotel Arai, Avinyo / in the Gothic Quarter. Would you recommend it’s best to get the train from the station? Also we’ve been concerned watching the news about some of the more violent protests, can you please provide any advise on it these have affected some of the more popular tourist attractions.
    Many thanks
    Lisa

    1. Hi Lisa,

      You could take the train, but you’d need to catch the free shuttle bus from terminal 1 to terminal 2 then catch the train to Passeig de Gràcia followed by the L3 metro to Liceu. If you purchase a T-10 travel pass this will cost you just €1.02 per person and is the cheapest way to get to your hotel. A taxi would obviously be faster and more convenient (especially if your kids are small) and would cost about €35. More information about airport transfer in this post.

      To get to the Magic Fountain from that address by public transport you can take the L3 metro from the Liceu metro stop to Espanya (4 stops) and then walk along Av. Reina Maria Christina.

      Despite the impression that you may have got from the news media, protests are localised and although some of them have affected public transport, they only happen in small areas of the city and as far as I know, the main tourist attractions have remained open to the public as usual.

      The few violent protests have, generally speaking, been at night and mostly located in a few key points of the city (notably outside the police headquarters on Via Laitana).

      The vast majority of protests here are peaceful and can be easily avoided. Just use common sense and you shouldn’t have any problems.

  2. Hello –

    I will be in Barcelona for only 2 days (Sunday and Monday) on May 7&8 – so there are no shows. But is it worth it to stop by at night to look at still? Is it still lit — is it like the Trevi fountain where it is a “must-see” just by itself? Thank you!

    1. Hello Kim,

      Unfortunately, on the nights when there are no sound and light shows the magic fountain doesn’t operate. Not only is it not lit up but the fountain itself is switched off.

      I suggest that you visit the fountain when it is running during the day because the surrounding area is very beautiful and the other water features (artificial waterfalls and smaller fountains) as well as the magic fountain itself will be functioning (although without lights and music).

      During the day the fountains operate at the following times:

      Weekdays 11:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 18:00
      Sundays and public holidays 11:00 to 15:00

      You can see what the fountain looks like during the daytime in the last photo above.

      If you want to see something more akin to the Trevi fountain I suggest you check out the Cascada del Parc de la Ciutadella which was designed by Josep Fontserè and Antoni Gaudi.

      There are a few other lesser known ornamental fountains in Barcelona which are lit up at night although none of them are anywhere near as impressive as the magic fountain of Montjuïc.

      I believe that the fountain in Parque de las Rieres d’Horta is illuminated on Sunday evenings from 20:00 to 21:00. There are a few videos of the fountain on you tube which will give you an idea of what to expect.

  3. Hi visiting Barcelona on the 29th May, please can you tell me the correct dates of when the magic fountain show will be on, coming with 3 children don’t want them to miss out.

    Thank you

    Minny

    1. Hi Minny,

      How long will you be staying in Barcelona for?

      Your first chance to see tha Magic Fountain will be on Thursday June 2nd.

      May 29th falls on a Sunday this year and unfortunately there’s no show on Sundays during May.

      During June the sound and light show is on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The fountain is lit from 21:30 to 23:30 and shows start at 21:30, 22:00, 22:30 and 23:00.

      I hope that this isn’t bad news!!

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