300m Baghdad Island Water Show Fountain

The Iraq Baghdad Island Floating Dancing Fountain Project is one of the longest fountain projects in the Middle East, designed, manufactured and installed by Guangdong Optimum Show Technology Co., Ltd.

It has a 300m modular floating platform structure, 2,000+ sets of colored lights, 100 sets of stage beam lights, and an integrated Water Screen, all designed to produce a full musical fountain show, integrated and controlled by DMX512.

The record below shows the complete trajectory of the project, starting from the first site visit through the factory processes, the loading of the containers, the work of the on-ground team, the commissioning, the programming and the handover.

1. Location: Baghdad Island, Baghdad, Iraq.

2. Project Size: With a length of 300 meters and a width of 33 meters, the floating fountain platform is one of the biggest yet created by Optimum Show.

3. Fountain Type: Floating dancing fountain. It is a system which sits on assembled floating platform sections instead of the usual fixed concrete basin, because constructing a fixed structure across 300 meters in a natural water body such as this one is impractical and far from cost-effective.

4. Installation Period & Completion: Site works were underway throughout the winter of 2024, with work documented on site on 25 December 2024 at an ambient temperature of 14°C. The project was completed at the end of 2025.

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Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
Project Name	Iraq Baghdad Island Floating Dancing Fountain Project
Project Owner	Jazeerat Baghdad Company
Fabricator	Guangdong Optimum Show Technology Co., Ltd
Fountain Type	Floating dancing fountain
Dimensions	300m × 33m
Vertical reach of the jet stream	80 to 100m
Nozzles	Digital nozzles
Lighting	2,000+ sets of colored lights
Beam Lighting	100 stage beam lights
Water Screen Media	Projection
Control Protocol	DMX512
Show Schedule	Nightly, every half hour starting at 6:30 PM
Year of Completion	2025

Water Depth & Site Conditions
The depth at floating fountain systems should be adequate to avoid any issues of suction plugging and to allow anchoring, and minimum depths typically vary between 1.5 m and 3 m depending on the size of the system. Bottom material composition will also dictate the type of anchors used, since soft mud requires a different solution than rock or clay composition bottoms.
An initial site survey was undertaken at Baghdad Island before the platform layout and mooring approach were finalized.

Maximum Jet Height
The jets in the center shoot to 80 or 100 meters. The jet height is not linearly related to water volume, since a 20 m jet requires exponentially more hydraulic power than the smaller 10 m version, so this required hydraulic modeling and a purpose-built design rather than scaled up assumptions.

Pump & Solenoid Valve System
High pressure pumps and solenoid valves were installed right on the floating platform structure and linked via corrosion resistant distribution pipe, which was sized to deliver the required jet height throughout the entire 300 meters, even in an open water situation.

Digital Nozzles
Digital nozzles permit individual water effects instead of uniform patterns. In a fountain this long, such addressability is what permits running fountain sequences, radial swings and fan formation (peacock) from one single control timeline.
Optimum Show has more water shape vocabulary across its musical fountain projects, like running fountain, central high jet, deputy high jet, rainbow jets, Digital 1D jets, Digital 2D, Digital Rotation jets, Digital Finger jets effects and more by programming.

LED Lighting & Stage Beam Lights
Throughout the installation, more than 2,000 sets of colored lights are installed, while the show is complemented by 100 stage beams that carry the brightness of colors far above the water level itself.

Projection Water Screen
The system is fitted with a Water Screen. Water projection technology consists of powerful pumps and special water projection generators that spray water up at high speed, creating a moving projection surface that video material is bounced onto, and the result is a translucent image that can be integrated into the night sky.

DMX512 Control System
The protocol which is the same as the one used for theatrical lighting, DMX512, has made it possible to install a large number of individual components, the nozzles and the individual lights, and to address them from a single control panel.
The control cabinets contain the variable frequency drives (VFDs) as well as circuit breakers and the main controller, which coordinate pumps, solenoid valves, lighting, beam effects and the water screen on one timeline.

Music Synchronization
All movement of water, lighting and beam effects is set to a piece of music, creating a full musical show rather than a static show that is repeated over and over again.
The sound is carried by JBL speakers, positioned to project clearly across the full 300-meter platform so the audio keeps pace with the water and light show rather than falling behind it at the far end.

Project Workflow

Stage 1: Preliminary Stage, Project Visit & Client Meetings

All fountain shows begin with a definitive answer to one question: what should this fountain do? For Baghdad Island, the answer was a landmark for the city, and in particular for the public in the night-time, not an esthetic water feature.

On-Site Assessment at Baghdad Island
The Optimum Show engineering team went to Baghdad Island and walked the site directly, measuring the water body, how people can access the shoreline, how far they need to be from one end to the other to see the fountain, the distance to power, and then the surrounding landscape that the fountain will be a part of.
In an open-water project this isn't an optional set-up, because a floating system's viability, or the condition of its needing a different set of engineering solutions, depends largely on water depth, bottom conditions, wind exposure and electrical access.

Client Coordination Meetings
Some formal working sessions with the team from the Jazeerat Baghdad Company were conducted, with the exchange of drawings, layout and technical requirements seen personally. The intention of these meetings was to set expectations for scale, style and performance before any design work was agreed.

Defining Scope Before Design
Purpose, scale, the number of nozzles, show length and control system complexity were all settled in this phase. It saves a lot of additional design revision cycles down the road, because the design team didn't have to guess at what they thought was needed versus what needs were actually agreed to at the start.

Stage 2: Design & 3D Show Simulation

With the scope now settled, the design phase turned those requirements into a visual and technical specification.

Aerial Layout Design Across the Lake
Renders were created of the full 300-meter installation in place across the water, both from above and from the audience shore line, to provide the client with a realistic preview of the location of the fountain within the larger context of the Baghdad Island.

Water Shape & Choreography Concepts
Design visualizations mapped out the water shapes the system would create: water screen formations, Digital 1D&2D jets patterns, running sequences along the platform length, and the rainbow jets & central high jets to anchor the show's biggest moments.

Lighting & Beam Effect Renders
Separate night view renders presented the colored lighting and the stage beam effects along with the water, to visualize what the show would look like as it extends vertically and out from the water line by the use of the 100 beam lights.

Client Sign-Off Before Production
Prior to anything moving to manufacturing, a 3D simulation show for client approval is a common rule of the road, and detailed choreography animation will normally take approximately one week to prepare. Revision rounds built in at this stage are one of the more reliable methods to safeguard a project timetable. Built in after production has begun, they are not.

Stage 3: Factory Processing, Manufacturing in Guangzhou

After the design was approved, the production started in Optimum Show's production line in Guangzhou, Tianhe District.

Pipe Fabrication & Bending
Large diameter pipework was fabricated and bent to the curvature required by the platform layout, followed by cutting to length and flange preparation for the distribution runs distributing water throughout the 300 m long platform.

Nozzle Machining & Assembly
Nozzle assemblies were prepared in batches, and had to be machined and prepared to the specifications outlined in the design for the height of the stream and the shape of the water required by the show.

Control Cabinet Production
Control cabinets were assembled in the factory, containing the variable frequency drives, circuit breakers and system hardware that the DMX512 system would run through. The capacity of panel channels was determined early in the design phase, as it is much more costly to add channels after installation than it is to design for headroom.

Cable & Electrical Component Preparation
Cabling and electrical components were cut and reeled for the long runs required by an installation of this length in an open water environment, specified for submersion rated, marine grade performance.

Stage 4: Inspection & Container Loading

All equipment was inspected and prepared for sea freight to Iraq before any equipment was shipped.

Control Cabinet Inspection
The control cabinets were inspected while the client was present, and build quality and settings were checked against specification before the cabinets left the factory.

Cable Drum & Component Verification
Cable reels and other supporting components were inspected and verified according to the cable packing schedule.

Pipe Section Sealing & Protection
Fabricated sections of pipe were fitted with flange covers to protect them from contamination and damage during transit and handling.

Container Loading & Sea Freight
Equipment was crane loaded and forklift loaded into 40-foot shipping containers for transit to Iraq. International projects have more logistics variables than domestic projects, since sea freight takes 3 to 6 weeks and customs clearance takes even longer depending on how prepared both the equipment and documentation are. Country of origin certificates and customs declarations are therefore made before the equipment is shipped as opposed to after.

Stage 5: On-Site Installation on the Water

Installation was performed in a sequence, with equipment in place.

Floating Platform (Pontoon) Assembly
The floating platform sections were the first to be assembled and installed on the water, forming the base that all other elements would be added to. The sections were connected and installed sequentially along the 300 m course and secured to protect against wind, wave and current forces which could change the alignment.

Pump, Solenoid Valve & Nozzle Installation
High pressure pumps, solenoid valves and digital nozzles were then installed on top of the completed platform sections, creating a hydraulic backbone for the fountain, using flanged distribution pipework across the structure.

LED Light Installation
The placement of the 2,000 plus sets of colored lights was done in parallel to the nozzle placement, so each set of water effects was illuminated as desired in the composition.

Cable Routing Across 300 Meters
Electrical cable was installed throughout the installation, and pumps and valves, lighting and control were all housed in IP rated and waterproof enclosures, all wired back to proper grounding and overload protection. Where long cable runs cross water, they are even more vulnerable to signal loss, voltage drop and environmental wear than compact land-based systems are, and must necessarily be considered a serious factor in this phase and not as a finishing touch.

Control Cabinet Installation
The control cabinets were installed and terminated, allowing full coordination of all of the pumps, solenoid valves, lights and effects in a single point of DMX512 control.

Working Through the Baghdad Winter
The installation has taken place during the winter season in Iraq, with work on 25th December documented on site at 14°C, and every component being installed in open water was installed on floating structures and not on solid ground.

Stage 6: Testing & Commissioning

After installation, the system underwent testing, but prior to any choreography being applied. A dry check was performed to all electrical and all control connections before beginning to test with water flowing but without the choreography switched on.

Individual Water Shape Testing
I tested each shape of water that the fountain was designed around with each shape turned on individually, and verified that all the pumps, solenoid valves and nozzles were giving the desired effect for every water shape by programming.

Pump & Pressure Verification
The water pressure and flow were checked and adjusted in case of a discrepancy, since a simulation cannot take into account every detail of the pump's real-life performance.

Lighting Channel Checks
All the DMX512 lighting channels were turned on and tested for addressing on the control system.

Jet Height Confirmation
The central high jets were turned on, and it has been confirmed that they always achieve a range of 80 to 100 meters.

Stage 7: Programming & Show Choreography

Having hardware confirmed, the team got busy with show programming, beginning to map each effect, whether it be water movement, lights changing or beams projecting according to music, effect by effect, and stitching them together on a timeline.
Development of a new show generally takes a week or more per 3-minute song, and the choreography is often being developed simultaneously with the installation rather than waiting for the installation to be completed.
A tendency toward excess is baked into good choreography, as it's easy to start pumping all the nozzles at once and have a sense that it feels busy rather than musical. The show is put together by the programmers, like a composer would do with an orchestra, using specific effects at certain points in the composition. On a 300m platform equipped with individually addressable digital nozzles, that's what turns visual noise into a coordinated show.

Stage 8: Client Training & Project Handover

The training and formal handover to the operating team of the Jazeerat Baghdad Company included how to operate the control panel, basic troubleshooting, and the maintenance program the system necessitates, including cleaning of the nozzles and lights, measuring water quality and periodic pump servicing on a set schedule instead of waiting for pump failure.
Choreography files were documented for later use, so shows can be adapted or updated without having to recreate the choreography.
In addition to a greater variety of products such as Digital Water Curtain and Fog Effect systems, Optimum Show also provides design, production, installation, debugging, and after-sales support in one package. That integrated structure had the implication that the same people who designed the system were the ones who did the commissioning and the handover.

Installtion Process

300 Baghdad Island Water Show Fountain Floaters Installation

300 Baghdad Island Water Show Fountain Installation

300 Baghdad Island Water Show Fountain Pump Installation

300 Baghdad Island Water Show Fountain Nozzles Installation

300 Baghdad Island Water Show Fountain aerial view

300 Baghdad Island Water Show Fountain control cabinet Installation

Engineering Challenges & Solutions

300-Meter Floating Structure on Open Water
You cannot just multiply small-system components to make them work in large systems. At this level, the pipe sizing, pump coordination, and pressure management systems are complex engineering challenges that cannot be addressed with scaled up assumptions, only through hydraulic modeling.

Wind Exposure & Platform Stability
Spray effect and platform stability are directly affected by wind action on open water installations, which can lead to unpredictable displays, and wind speeds of more than 25km/h can cause drift even with anchorage.
The larger platforms take more wind load, and the structural engineering necessary to remain stable when heavy pump systems, light arrays and electrical architectures are combined on it rises exponentially with the size.

Long-Distance Cable & Signal Runs
Electric power must be supplied to floating platforms reliably and safely. Provision must be made for using underwater cables rated for being submerged in water and for conduit protection, and consideration must be given to voltage drop over the distance to the platform.
For musical shows this requirement on control signal reliability becomes paramount, and hardwired systems must be cable managed to allow for movement of the platform.

Reaching 80–100 Meter Jet Height
Pressure delivery, nozzle precision and platform stability are required to sustain the jets at this height. The synchronization range for fixed-basin fountains is within 10 to 20 milliseconds, however with floating platforms motion is added to the equation of maintaining that synchronization, making it more challenging to achieve, so choreography and anchoring need to be designed with it as a constraint and not against it.

High Temperate in Summer and 0 Degree in Winter
Baghdad summers push past 45°C while winter nights can drop close to 0°C, so pumps, control cabinets and cable insulation were specified for that full range, since equipment rated for a narrower band risks thermal stress and seal failure.

Final Result

The Completed Night Show
The completed fountain features a night-time show of sweeping arcs lit in deep blue across the full length of the display water, sequential central high jets rising against the backdrop of the Baghdad skyline, and warm amber hues in the undulating patterns of the still water below.
The Baghdad Island water tower is in the background of the show, framing the installation in its landmark environment.

Nightly Show Schedule
Performances start at 6:30 PM and are every half hour. During the Ramadan period the quantity of shows was raised, which gained more visitors and improved the cultural ambience around the shows.

Social & Cultural Impact
For many locals, the fountain is now a vital element of their everyday routine, providing a spot to relax, socialize and have a community celebration on the water's edge.

Tourism & Economic Impact
Today, the installation has breathed back life into Baghdad's tourism and attracted local and international tourists to the city, and infused a new life in the tourism culture as a model for economic and cultural development.

Regional Recognition
It has been recognized and rated by the leading media in Baghdad, the location where the fountain was built, with everyone congratulating its size and beauty, and it has been described as able to compete with the best renowned fountain in the region.
It has been added to Optimum Show's list of iconic international installations, which includes the Sheikh Zayed Festival Fountain in Abu Dhabi and the Riyadh Boulevard City Fountain in Saudi Arabia. The project has also been submitted for consideration as a Guinness World Record entry, a step that would place the 300-meter, 80-to-100-meter jet installation among the largest musical fountains formally recognized on record.