Bucharest is known for it's vibrant atmosphere, great parks, amazing night life and lots of festivals. One top of it all, the city is hosting a free fountain show every weekend from June to October.
The show which combines water, music and lights to create unforgettable moments reached it's 4th edition and keeps on gathering thousands of people every weekend in the center of Bucharest. It has become one of the cities permanent summer attractions, a Romanian version of the Bellagio fountain show.
The story of the fountains date back to the former communist regime, following the systematization plans of Nicolae Ceausescu, when Unirii boulevard (called the boulevard of Socialist Victory at that time) was laid out. In 2018, the fountains went through an extensive rehabilitation process. After the renovation they became the first fountains in Europe to benefit from state-of-the-art equipment, just in time for the celebration of 100 years of modern Romania.
The fully digitally monitored system allows the control of each individual unit of the 44 independent fountains, arranged over a total length of almost 1.4 kilometers along Unirii Boulevard.
The video below presents the restauration project by the German company Oase, highlighting the technology behind some of the most impressive effects incorporated in the fountains, such as the fire-water effect or the water holograms.
The 2023 edition of the show is centered around a new theme - Rhapsody of Water - honoring the music of Romanian composer, George Enescu. His famous work - the "Romanian Rhapsody" - auditioned 120 years ago.
Among the compositions included in this year's performances are: Romanian Rhapsody I and Romanian Rhapsody II (George Enescu), Danube Fairy (Ciprian Porumbescu), Three Pieces for Strings (Constantin Silvestri) and many other songs by beloved Romanians artists, as well as international musicians.
The show takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening, according to the following monthly schedule:
July 2023: the show starts at 21:30
August 2023: the show starts at 21:00
September and October 2023: the show starts at 20:00
The area around the fountains becomes pedestrian 30 minutes previous to the show. Admission is free and the shows is 45 minutes long.