A few days ago, a participatory session regarding the construction of Spotify Camp Nou took place. It was attended by the Vice President for Institutional Relations, Elena Fort, and the Chief Operating Officer of Espai Barça, Joan Sentelles. Progress updates were shared during the meeting. What stage is the investment at?

According to the schedule?

It was reported that construction work on the new Spotify Camp Nou is progressing as planned. The pillars of the third level of Spotify Camp Nou are beginning to rise and are now becoming increasingly visible. In a few weeks, the ground floor structure will also start to become apparent. Work on the first and second levels is progressing well; currently, efforts are focused on installing facilities and preparing for interior finishes. Construction of spaces that will serve as the FC Barcelona museum in the future will begin shortly.

The club also aims for Spotify Camp Nou to be at the forefront of technology to ensure maximum comfort for spectators. An example of this is the installation of 68 elevators and 90 escalators to improve accessibility, as well as the implementation of a greater number of complementary services and the addition of 3,200 parking spaces.

Approximately 70% of the renovation of the structure from the previous facility is complete. The iconic facade from 1957 remains the main feature of the stadium modernization. Soon, it will be surrounded by the full structure of new stands.

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Already in November?

The goal is to play the first match by the end of 2024 and complete the work in the first four months of 2025, said Joan Sentelles. He also noted that during this inaugural event, the stadium's capacity will be limited to around 50,000 spectators. Although it has long been predicted that this would happen in November, coinciding with the club's 125th anniversary, concerns have now been raised about this. There is a possibility that Camp Nou will not open its gates until December 15. The third level will not be accessible to the public until the end of 2025. Sentelles also confirmed obtaining permission to extend the construction schedule to accelerate progress.

A new proposal for Barça Hospitality was also presented. The high-quality VIP lounges and seating offer aims to meet the demands of the most discerning fans and generate significant revenue for the club. It is estimated that new sponsorship deals and the new VIP offering will generate a total of around €120 million.

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"Democratization" of stadium

It is worth emphasizing that the stadium will be open to the city. We had to make significant changes to remain at the forefront of world football, said Elena Fort. She also appealed to city authorities to expedite the construction of the L9 metro station near the stadium. There was also a suggestion regarding ticket pricing changes for the matches at the new stadium in connection with its planned democratization.

Although the latest visualizations presented by FC Barcelona do not show this, Spotify Camp Nou will have an observation point on the roof. Building permits have not yet been issued, but if all goes according to plan, this will become a reality.

In addition to the complete renovation of Spotify Camp Nou, the Espai Barça project also includes the construction of a new Palau Blaugrana - a sports hall where FC Barcelona will play home games of basketball, futsal, handball and roller hockey. Joan Sentelles noted that they are already in the initial phase of the project and that important events will unfold in the coming months. He also emphasized that construction will only conclude in early 2025 because it is not feasible to efficiently execute both investments simultaneously without delay.

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