- Montjuic holds a capacity of 60,700 seats, that’s is lower than What Barcelona’s home holds but with the distance close, it was chosen as the best option
- The Camp Nou is one of the most historic and iconic sporting venues around the globe, home to the legendary FC Barcelona
- The Stadium is based in Montjuic, a mountainous district of Barcelona roughly eight kilometres away from Camp Nou
- Montjuic was the primary venue for the 1992 Olympic Games, and since then, the Stadium has not been used again
According to the Catalan club, Barcelona will play its 2023-24 season at the nearby Olympic Stadium, with the Nou Camp undergoing extensive renovations.
The Spanish giants announced the news after the City’s Governing Commission approved the remodelling of their 99,354-seat Stadium.
The Olympic Stadium. Photo: Getty Images
Renovations to its first and second tiers will begin in June, following the end of the football season, though the Catalan side will continue to play at the Nou Camp next season, with the third tier set to be demolished next summer.
The Catalan club will return to Camp Nou in the 2024-25 season, but with a reduced capacity of 50 pents, with the renovations expected to be completed by the 2025-26 season.
After securing a £237 million sponsorship deal, Barcelona confirmed in March that their iconic Stadium would be renamed the ‘Spotify Nou Camp’ beginning next season.
And, speaking at Barcelona City Hall on Thursday, President Joan Laporta revealed the news of their £1.2 billion renovations.
‘Renovation work on the Camp Nou, the epicentre of the Espai Barca, will begin this June, just after the end of the sports season, and per the building permit approved this morning by the City Council’s Government Commission,’ the club said in a statement.
‘The work will focus on the first and second tier, in the technological field, in the environment of the Stadium, and the urban development outside.
‘Actions inside the Camp Nou will include the demolition of the additional structure of the south goal where the Medical Center was located.
The Camp Nou, the football stadium of FC Barcelona is set to undergo renovations from june. Photo: MARCA
“Restoration works, anti-carbonation and waterproofing of the stands, structural finishes and the improvement and renovation of the retransmission system.”
Barcelona, who have lost their last three home games, will play away from the Nou Camp for the first time since 1957 during the 2023-24 season, with the 60,000-capacity Olympic Stadium serving as their temporary home.
The Olympic Stadium, also known as the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys and located in Montjuic, Barcelona, was the primary venue for the 1992 Olympic Games.
The Stadium, which overlooks the coast, has hosted numerous national team matches and a number of Copa del Rey finals over the years.
Espanyol also used the Stadium as their home ground from 1997 to 2009 before moving to the newly built RCDE Stadium.
However, the build has been modified since then.
Espanyol also used the Stadium as their home ground from 1997 to 2009 before moving to the newly built RCDE Stadium.
However, since then, the structure has been used sparingly, making it a less-than-ideal venue for a club of such stature.
After being largely unused since the Olympics, an attempt was made in 2014 to repurpose the Stadium with the project Open Camp, transforming the complex into the world’s first sports theme park.
The Olympic Stadium holds a capacity of 60,700 seats. Photo: Eurosport
There was hope that the project would create 240 jobs and generate around €53 million, but it was abandoned in 2017 after failing to make an impression and leaving the city with significant debts.
Barcelona vice president Elena Fort said of the Stadium in December 2021: ‘The most normal thing would be Montjuic, because of the capacity and because it would cause us the least trouble. It has its advantages and disadvantages.’
In addition to progressing with Camp Nou renovations, the Catalan club must ensure that the Olympic Stadium is in good enough condition for the 2023-24 season.
However, as part of the ‘Espai Barca’ project, which aims to modernize the club’s facilities, Barcelona has promised fans a safer stadium with better entrances’ when they return.
Unlike the current Nou Camp, which is completely uncovered, every seat will be covered beneath a stadium roof.
Barcelona will also build more facilities for fans, including new VIP areas, and the seats inside the Stadium, which is the fourth largest in the world, will be larger once the plans are completed.
Barcelona had planned to demolish the third tier a year earlier but decided to postpone the start date due to “uncertainties generated by the war in Ukraine.”
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