Real Madrid’s renovation of its famous Santiago Bernabeu stadium has been a source of contention for the Spanish football club, with residents citing noise from concerts and ongoing construction. The stadium resumed holding concerts earlier this year after undergoing a multi-year renovation that includes an undulating metal roof, new lighting, shops, VIP spaces, and a retractable pitch. The idea is to transform the arena, which opened in 1947 as a typical football ground, into a year-round entertainment destination.
Pop megastar Taylor Swift and Grammy-winning Colombian singer Karol G are among the famous names who have played at the renovated stadium this year, which is owned by Real Madrid, whose president Florentino Perez is one of Spain’s richest men.
Except during match days, the posh Chamartin district in northern Madrid, where the stadium is located, was rather quiet. Residents are already complaining about illegally loud concerts and rehearsals, as well as inebriated concertgoers peeing indoors.
According to Luis Eusa, a university student, his grandparents’ apartment across the street from the stadium “rumbles when there are concerts”. Angry inhabitants of apartment complexes surrounding the stadium have posted banners on their balconies reading “NO concerts”.
Concerts are halted.
According to the Association of People Affected by the Bernabeu, one of the neighborhood organizations formed to combat “the negative impacts” of the reconstruction, the stadium will now hold more than 300 events each year, up from 35 before the refurbishment.
The organization claims that the reconstructed stadium, which now has 84,000 seats, up from 81,000 before, is not sufficiently soundproofed, and that its new, powerful loudspeakers do not comply with noise rules. Since 2018, Real Madrid has taken out three loans totaling 1.17 billion euros ($1.28 billion) to refurbish the stadium, with the goal of making it a major source of revenue.
These plans may be jeopardized. Last month, the club stated that it would halt all concerts at the stadium while it worked to fix the noise issue.
Real Madrid stated at the time that its objective “will always be that the stadium’s activities guarantee its commitment to the city of Madrid and are beneficial to its surroundings.” When reached by AFP, the club declined to speak more.
“Tricked us”
According to Gonzalo, a senior who was walking his dog near the stadium and did not want to disclose his last name, neighbors doubt Real Madrid would honor its pledge.
Adding to the club’s woes, a Madrid court ordered a temporary halt to construction on the stadium’s new underground car park and a tunnel to allow large vehicles such as trucks carrying concert equipment to pass under the stadium on September 26 in response to complaints about the project’s concession contract.
The underground parking lot is being built on public property granted as a concession by Madrid’s city hall, prompting charges that mayor Luis Martinez Almeida, a supporter of Real’s cross-town rivals Atletico de Madrid, favored Perez. Part of the difficulty is that unlike most other stadiums, such as Atletico Madrid’s new Metropolitano, built on a huge esplanade on the outskirts of the Spanish city, Real Madrid’s is quite close to homes.
“Football is on match day and that’s it,” said Manuel Amaro, 62, who has worked as a superintendant at a building on a street facing Real Madrid’s stadium for the last nine years, where the club’s fans frequently assemble to drink beers before games. “Nobody is happy” with the new stadium, he explained.