FC Barcelona have provided a fresh update on the phased return of supporters to the Spotify Camp Nou, with plans now advancing to lift capacity beyond 60,000 spectators for a specific league fixture in the next couple of weeks.
The announcement comes as the iconic stadium continues its gradual reopening after more than two years of extensive redevelopment work under the Espai Barca project.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are preparing to move into Phase 1C of the reopening plan, with the La Liga home match against Levante on February 22 earmarked as the moment the Gol Nord stand comes back into use.
If approved, this phase would raise the stadium’s capacity to 62,657, an increase of around 17,000 seats compared to Phase 1B.
Crucially, the club believe the infrastructure in the Gol Nord area is already complete, with access points, exits, evacuation routes and supporter services all in place.
The new configuration also adds 137 metres of usable perimeter to improve access and evacuation procedures.
Camp Nou delays down to administration not safety
Barcelona had originally hoped to activate Phase 1C earlier this month, but deadlines were pushed back due to the complexity of administrative procedures required by city authorities.
Joan Sentelles, Espai Barca’s director of operations, stressed that the delay has nothing to do with safety or technical concerns.
“The Urban Guard and the Fire Brigade have already validated evacuations and simulations. The exits are finished and work correctly. What is missing here is only an administrative decision,” Sentelles explained.
The main obstacle lies in the strict application of ORPIMO regulations, a municipal ordinance governing construction licensing. Barcelona argue the rules are poorly suited to a project of Camp Nou’s scale, which spans around 250,000 square metres.
Regulatory hurdles still to clear
Sentelles detailed how documentation has had to be split into more than 50 separate packages because municipal servers cannot process files of such size.
The director also pointed to the need to formally legalise certain completed structures, including a major evacuation exit on the Maternitat side of the stadium, built above a car park with 1,800 spaces, which is still awaiting final administrative sign-off.
“It is not that the City Council does not want to grant the licence, but that it has to comply with the regulation to the letter,” he added, noting the process also places strain on council technicians.
If approval is granted in time, the Levante match would mark a significant milestone in Barcelona’s return home, and another visible step towards a fully completed Camp Nou in the coming years.
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Reaching the 60,000-plus threshold would be a major symbolic and financial boost for Barcelona, showing tangible progress after a long and disruptive rebuild.
While the delays underline how complex the Espai Barca project remains, the fact that safety checks are already signed off suggests it is now bureaucracy, not construction, standing in the way. A successful Phase 1C opening would strengthen confidence that the club is finally turning the corner on one of the most ambitious stadium redevelopments in world football.