Barcelona stadium renovation: Latest news of Spotify Camp Nou in November 2024

Due to ongoing renovations, the famous Camp Nou stadium, home of FC Barcelona, is currently almost unrecognisable from how it looked previously.

But what is the latest news regarding the Barcelona stadium renovation? And when will the popular home stadium to the La Liga giants re-open?

We provide you with detailed coverage of the ongoing at Camp Nou ahead of the 2024/25 La Liga season, so read on for details.

Camp Nou history

Camp Nou opened in 1957 to replace the former stadium of FC Barcelona, Les Courts. The official capacity when first built was 93,053, but that was increased to 120,000 for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. However, due to new regulations outlawing standing areas, the capacity was reduced to just under 99,000.

Camp Nou hosted the first European Cup Winner's final in 1972. Over the years, Camp Nou has become one of the most feared football stadiums by visiting opponents.

A trip to Camp Nou is always likely to end in defeat for opponents. Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu has become the only venue that closely rivals Camp Nou, but that latter's current capacity of 105,000 is one of the biggest in Europe.

The ongoing renovation works at Camp Nou were planned in 2014 and were set to start in 2017.

The club intends to increase capacity by redeveloping areas, such as completely rebuilding the first tier, adding a roof to all seats, and extending the top tier.

Why is the Barcelona stadium renovation taking place?

The initial intention for the current renovation was to make Camp Nou the third largest stadium in the world behind the Narendra Modi Stadium in India which has a capacity of 132,000 and the Rungrado 1^st of May Stadium in North Korea, which can seat 114,000 spectators.

Due to the dire financial situation at the club, some of the plans for the renovation were scrapped to keep to a budget of $900m.

A new look at FC Barcelona’s $1.6 billion renovations to Spotify Camp Nou, scheduled to be complete by the end of 2024: pic.twitter.com/0YoShflSX6

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 20, 2024

What will the stadium look like once the Camp Nou renovation is completed?

The renovated Camp Nou will have a retractable roof with solar panels that will “be used to power the new 360-degree screen that will run around the entire interior of the stadium.”

The stadium's exterior will also have a new look, and office complexes and various entertainment spaces are being built nearby.

The work officially began in early July 2022, but the stand's demolition behind the south gate did not start until 1 September, 2022. The early work included removing elements from the rear of the stand and dismantling the central section of the top floor of the auditorium.

Those works were to be followed by the construction of new stairs and escape routes to restore the use of the seats not included in the remodelling on the first and second floors.

Work began with the removal of the scoreboard and just under 4,000 seats, most of which were occupied by season pass holders who were offered a move to a similar area elsewhere in the stadium or a temporary deferral of payment.

The 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup gave the renovation a boost due to there being no games played at Camp Nou.

This allowed for the dismantling of the stand's reinforced concrete elements, which cost $4.6 million and were completed by the end of 2022. Erri Berri was the company contracted for this part of the renovation.

However, the work on the south stand was only a prelude to the start of the stadium renovation. The work started in full after the conclusion of Barcelona’s title-winning La Liga season in 2023.

Where is Barcelona playing while the Camp Nou undergoes renovation?

In early 2023, it was announced that the Turkish construction company Limak had won the contract to become the main contractor.

Due to the renovation, Barcelona temporarily moved to the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, located about four kilometres southeast of Camp Nou, for the 2023/24 season.

Due to the capacity of the Olympic Stadium being just 56,000, a significant number of Barcelona fans will have to cancel their season tickets.

FC Barcelona returned home in the 2024/25 season, but the capacity had to be halved. The full renovation is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

Camp Nou renovation – latest updates

November 2024: 800 seats installed daily ahead of  potential February 2025 re-opening

According to Spanish news sources, approximately 800 seats are being installed each day at the renovated Camp Nou. Notably, the club reportedly spends at least €1 million daily on the ongoing construction, with around 1,800 workers employed on the project.

As one of the best and largest football stadiums in the world, Camp Nou is set to enhance its facilities further. So far, crimson and blue seats have been installed in the first and second tiers of the stadium. The third tier is still under construction and is expected to be completed by mid-next year, which will also include the installation of a 50,000-square-meter roof and other facilities.

Barcelona are making significant efforts to play their first game at the remodelled stadium against Deportivo Alaves in February next year, despite potential delays in the reopening.

October 2024: A potential setback for Camp Nou opening date

With the partial opening date of the Camp Nou in its new form having already been pushed back once, from 29 November to 15 December, recent comments from the Barcelona vice-president, Elena Fort, have suggested that another delay may occur.

Speaking on Monday, 7 October, about the situation, Fort said: “There are no exact dates to return to the stadium. We can’t say right now, but we are on the correct path. The city council knows our full plan. We are following all the safety protocols and we’ve received the green light from several institutions.

“Now we’ll need to make rapid work to get the license back to reopening the stadium and execute everything.”

It has been reported that January 2025 appears to be the more likely date for the club's return to Camp Nou, but it may be even later in the year than that.

Fort explained that UEFA encourages every team to host all of their Champions League phase matches at one venue. If Barcelona were to adhere to those guidelines, then that would see the side's return to their home pushed back until February.

July 2024: Latest update from Camp Nou

As of May 2024, construction works were ongoing at Camp Nou. Light beams are already installed at the iconic stadium and the mosaic formation that comprises FC Barcelona colours is visible from nearby flats. This aims to bring the venue to life once FC Barcelona return home to the more than 100,000-capacity venue.

Moreover, hospitality packages for the new-look Camp Nou have been announced and well-received by the public. There are 90 lodges and 20 VIP suits at the new Camp Nou, most already booked. Per-person pricing for the hospitality packages ranges from  $49,000 to $94,000.

These packages could run up to 10 years, and this is expected to generate up to  $130 million in yearly revenues for FC Barcelona.

Camp Nou renovation – July 2023

In a video captured by Mundo Deportivo, a large majority of the seats appear to have already been moved and the process of demolishing the concrete beams has begun.

The renovation work at Camp Nou is progressing steadily, with Barcelona eyeing a comeback to their beloved stadium. President Laporta has been vocal about the club's intention to welcome fans back home by the end of the year, barring any unforeseen circumstances. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/bjcmuZj88F

— Capology (@CapologyDB) April 19, 2024

March 2024

FC Barcelona presented redevelopment plans for Camp Nou to the Architects’ Association of Catalonia (COAC) at an organised event on Monday, 4 March.

Espai Barca is the name for the overall revamp of FC Barcelona’s sporting infrastructure, including renovating the club’s training and commercial facilities.

The meeting involved key members of Espai Barca explaining the project's importance to the club's financial future in the coming decades and detailing the sustainability of the renovation, which includes reusing concrete and steel from the old facility to be used in the construction of the new stadium.

The planned return date to Camp Nou was the final few months of 2024.

Is Camp Nou ready to host 2024/25 La Liga matches?

The original plan in the renovation works was that the stadium would be ready to host Barcelona's home matches in the 2024/25 La Liga season. But despite the tremendous progress made so far, FC Barcelona fans were getting jittery about the prospects of returning home in the new season.

With little communication coming from the club regarding a return to Camp Nou, reports in Spain indicated that the club was looking to negotiate for more away matches in the upcoming season to allow the renovation works to continue. For most fans, it seems the timeline for the rebuild was underestimated.

It was also reported that Barcelona have informed UEFA that they will host matches in two venues next season. Camp Nou was originally slated to be reopened on 29 November 2024 to celebrate the club's anniversary but that has since been changed to 15 December.

At least 60% of the renovation work is expected to be complete by mid-next season, so even we don't expect a full stadium booking before early 2025.

The new 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐘 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏 𝐍𝐎𝐔 is going to be insane 🤯 pic.twitter.com/xnkmoL23JK

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 21, 2023

FAQs about Camp Nou renovation

When will the Camp Nou renovation end?

The current renovation of Camp Nou is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

Where are Barcelona currently playing their matches before going back to Camp Nou?

Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys is the current Barcelona home-ground.

Who are the leading architects in the renovation work at Camp Nou?

Barcelona Studio Pasual o AusioArquitectes and Nikken Sekkei are the main architecture firms in the Camp Nou renovation process.

What is Camp Nou's current capacity?

There are 105,000 seats at Camp Nou.