The Palm Fountain will no longer spring to life. In a surprise announcement on Friday, May 12, The Pointe let Dubai know that the World’s Largest Fountain will close down. May 15. 2023 was the day when this spectacular dancing fountain bid adieu to Dubai.
The unexpected news was sprung on Dubai residents via an Instagram post early Friday morning. According to a report by Khaleej Times, Nakheel, the developer behind the project, informed that the decision was a result of “careful consideration and planning”.
Whatever’s next in store will have a high bar to reach. Literally. The dancing fountain’s choreography surpassed The Dubai Fountain’s, with jets that shoot water to great heights of 105 metres. Since it first launched in October 2020, The Palm Fountain quickly rose through the ranks to become one of Dubai’s star attractions; views of which restaurants at The Pointe showed off during New Year’s Eve and other seasonal celebrations. Last October, it even hosted a special music festival.
Fireworks usually accompany some of the Palm Fountain’s shows. Before it was turned off for good, the musical fountain put on spectacular swansong performances. Water displays lit by 3,000 LED lights moved in rhythm to the music with Atlantis The Palm in the backdrop.
Besides an invitation to witness the final dance of the fountain with friends and family, The Pointe’s Instagram post didn’t reveal many details. However, a day after its closure Nakheel, the developer, announced the imminent closure of The Pointe as a whole. The shopping and dining destination won’t come be closed immediately. But restaurants have been notified to evict in the next 12 months.
It will be a bittersweet farewell for fans of the hotspot. This is the second Dubai attraction to bring down the shutters in 2023, after Bollywood Parks closed operations abruptly on April 20.