The Fontaines dansantes (Dancing Fountains) are a free summer show of water, light and music on the Lac aux Cygnes, the basin of water below the Esplanade gardens in the centre of Metz. On show nights, hundreds of jets rise and fall in time with the music while images are projected onto a screen of water. It looks very modern, but the city has been staging the show since the late 1950s.
The Dancing Fountains at a glance
- Where: on the Lac aux Cygnes, quai des Régates, at the foot of the Esplanade and beside the Jardin des Régates, a few minutes' walk from Place de la République.
- Created: in the late 1950s by the City of Metz; the show has been reworked many times since, with a new theme each season.
- What it is today: a free open-air sound-and-light show on summer evenings, roughly from June to September, with two performances a night on show days, each lasting a little over 20 minutes. No booking is needed.
- Time needed: about an hour, including finding a good spot before the show starts.
More than sixty summers of water and light
The show was started by the city in the late 1950s to bring free culture to everyone and to make more of the green spaces along the Moselle. Over the decades it has moved from simple coloured jets to a full production: several hundred animated jets rising up to about 15 metres, LED lighting and video projected onto a curtain of fine spray, all synchronised to a soundtrack that mixes classical pieces, film music and new compositions. Each summer brings a new theme and programme, and the show draws tens of thousands of spectators a season.
The setting helps. The Lac aux Cygnes, named after the swans that live on it, is part of the Moselle waterfront below the Esplanade, the formal garden on the edge of the old town. On one side the terraces of the Esplanade look down on the water; on the other, the dark sandstone silhouette of the Temple Neuf rises on its island. Further on, the Plan d'eau is used for rowing and canoeing by day and hosts summer events.
What to look for
- The jets themselves: watch how the lines of water change height and direction with the rhythm of the music.
- The water screen: a fine curtain of spray that catches the projected images and lets them hang in mid-air.
- The Temple Neuf behind the lake, lit up at night, which makes a good backdrop for photos.
- The swans on the lake that gave it its name, best seen in daylight, before or after a walk in the gardens.
- The view from the Esplanade terraces above: from here you see the whole basin, the Moselle and the hills beyond.
A show that changes every year
Because the theme and soundtrack change each season, people from Metz come back summer after summer, and the show is part of the city's summer programme alongside events on the waterfront. For the same reason, it is worth checking the current year's programme before you go: the dates, the show days and the start times are set anew each season and depend on when it gets dark.
Tips for your visit
- Arrive 20–30 minutes early to get a place along the quay or on the slopes of the Jardin des Régates; the best views are straight in front of the water screen.
- Shows start late, after dark: later in June and July, earlier in September. Check the City of Metz programme for this year's dates and times.
- Bring a layer: it gets cool by the water late in the evening, even in summer.
- Outside the season, the walk around the lake, the Esplanade and the Temple Neuf at dusk is still worth doing.
Nearby
- Temple Neuf: the Protestant church on the Petit-Saulcy island, built in the early 1900s during the German annexation, a few minutes' walk across the water.
- The Esplanade: the garden terrace above the lake, with views over the Moselle and the statue of Marshal Ney.
- Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains: on the edge of the Esplanade, one of the oldest churches in France, its walls going back to a Roman building of the 4th century.
- Opéra-Théâtre de Metz: the 18th-century theatre on Place de la Comédie, one of the oldest working theatres in France, a short walk along the river.
See Metz with World City Trail
Our Metz scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 47 minutes of walking. It takes you to places such as the Cathedral of Saint-Étienne, the Temple Neuf and the Porte des Allemands.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Metz.
Play the Metz scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Metz →
Play the outdoor escape game in Metz →
Facts checked in October 2026.