FC Barcelona is still working on the remodeling of its Spotify Camp Nou. Because since May 2023, almost two years ago, the club has not set foot in its true home. It has been doing so at the Olympic Stadium in Montjuic, its ‘rented’ field while the works are being completed.
Work continues to progress, with the idea of renovating and updating the legendary stadium to bring it up to date to become a reality sooner rather than later in Barcelona. A project that Joan Laporta, current president of FC Barcelona, had already set in motion in his previous term as head honcho, in 2007.
FC Barcelona had been planning to remodel the Camp Nou since 2007
17 years later, the project regained the necessary momentum for all the relevant organizations to give the green light to a plan that will be completed in the coming months. This delay was also due to the fact that the previous board, led by Josep Bartomeu, requested and obtained his arrest. As a result, the remodeling was stalled until May 2023.
Now, as it takes shape, both FC Barcelona and its fans are counting down the hours until they return to the Camp Nou. At the time, there were even calls for matches to be played at the facilities of the Barcelona reserve team, the Johan Cruyff Stadium at the Joan Gamper Training Ground, as Real Madrid did at the Alfredo di Stéfano.
But this has not been done for several reasons. One of them is VAR. The Ciudad Deportiva stadium does not have VAR, because neither Barça B, nor Barça Femenino, nor the Juvenil need it in their respective competitions. It would have to be set up, and that is a major disruption, as demonstrated in the Copa del Rey when it began to be applied from the round of 16 onwards. Two First Division RFEF teams reached that round, so the system had to be installed on the fly in their modest stadiums.
FC Barcelona is expected to be able to play at the new Camp Nou in August 2026
The Johan Cruyff Stadium is a newly built stadium, but it is not ready for a broadcast of a First Division match, where there are almost as many cameras as there are players, as well as complex systems such as the ‘spidercam’ that cuts through the sky.
With all this, and while they are playing at Montjuic, FC Barcelona know that the Camp Nou will not be ready until at least the end of next season. The earliest dates seem to be the 2026/2027 season, but the reality is that there is no specific date for the return to the Camp Nou, nor any news about the supposed penalty for the delays.
As if the situation were not already precarious enough, in January a new problem arose: the possible European tour of the Rolling Stones, which would begin next May in Montjuic. A concert that would make the preparation of the event incompatible with the presence of HansiFlick’s team at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium.
Initially, the club had set November 2024, coinciding with the club’s 125th anniversary. However, the complexity of the cabling work and other installations required has led to this date being postponed.
It will have a capacity of 105,000 spectators
Camp Nou was already one of the largest stadiums in Europe, with an original capacity of 99,354 seats. However, the renovation project will increase this figure to 105,000 seats, making it the largest capacity football stadium in Europe and the fifth largest in the world.
In addition to the increase in capacity, the renovation also includes improvements in comfort and accessibility for attendees. Wider aisles will be built and services such as toilets and rest areas will be upgraded to improve the fan experience. Finally, a 360-degree screen will also be added around the stadium, offering an immersive experience for spectators.