Batumi Dancing Fountains
The singing fountains of Ardagani Lake on the New Boulevard — a free water, laser and music show on summer evenings.
- Time needed
- 1 h
- From Tbilisi
- 373 km · 5:30
- Road
- Paved
- Car needed
- Economy class
- Season
- May–October
- Entry
- free
On a summer evening in Batumi the crowd drifts in one direction — towards Ardagani Lake. In the warm season this artificial lake on the New Boulevard becomes the city's main free spectacle every night: jets of water dance in time with the music while coloured lights and lasers turn the whole lake into a stage.
The show starts around dusk, roughly at 21:00, and runs with breaks late into the night — each programme lasts up to 30 minutes. The repertoire is unexpectedly broad:
- Opera classics, Pavarotti included
- International pop — Sting, Diana Ross, Barry White
- Georgian songs that get the locals singing along
A walking path with benches circles the lake, so the show works from any vantage point. It is especially good with children — the combination of fountains, bike rides and ice cream is unbeatable.
In winter the fountains are normally switched off, though the lake and the Boulevard remain a pleasant walk. The real season runs from May to October, peaking in July and August when the seafront stays busy past midnight.
Practical advice
The show is free and needs no ticket. Arrive by 21:00 — the best benches go before dark. Close to the jets you will get sprayed on a windy evening, but that is also the most dramatic photo spot. In July-August the whole area is crowded; mind the bike lane behind the benches. Cafes and toilets are along the Boulevard. Exact timings shift with the season, so double-check locally.
How to get there from Tbilisi
From Tbilisi take the E60/S1 highway west: Rikoti tunnels, the Kutaisi bypass, then the coast road through Kobuleti — about 373 km and 5:30 of driving, asphalt throughout, with fuel stations the whole way. Ardagani Lake sits on the New Boulevard near Lech and Maria Kaczynski Street; put "Ardagani Lake" into the navigator. Parking is on the streets parallel to the Boulevard and fills up in the evening, so arrive 15 minutes early. An economy car is completely sufficient.
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Nearby places
Batumi Boulevard and Old Town
A seven-kilometre seafront promenade, a nineteenth-century old quarter and modern towers in one compact city.
6 May Park and Batumi Dolphinarium
Batumi's oldest park, with a small lake, a zoo corner and a dolphinarium that has run since Soviet times.
Ali and Nino
Tamara Kvesitadze's 8-metre moving steel statue on Batumi's seafront — every evening the two figures merge and pass through each other.
Best car for this trip
Guides
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Pickup locations
Car Rental in Batumi — 2 km (straight line)