Taylor Swift has millions of fans, but her music isn’t exactly popular among the residents of Madrid's Hispanoamérica district. Rehearsals for her concerts, which will take place on 29 and 30 May at the Bernabeu, exceed the legal noise standards. Residents complain of noise and vibrations that prevent them from sleeping and functioning normally.

A multifunctional monster?

The new Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is to be a multi-purpose arena, operating all year round, modelled on the American model. In addition to matches, it is to host concerts, conferences and other events, attracting people seven days a week. This arrangement is expected to provide Real with huge revenues and make the stadium a key point on the Madrid map.

However, as is often the case, the idea is great and the execution is worse. Residents living in buildings neighbouring the stadium have been complaining for days about noise, vibrations and the passivity of the authorities. According to El Diario, police measurements showed a noise level of 85 decibels during the Telefonica 100 concert, while the legal limit is around 50-60 decibels, depending on the place and time of day.

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‘Unbearable’

The president of the Association of Neighbours Affected by Bernabeu, Enrique Martínez, in an interview with RAC1 said: They have turned the stadium into an eventodrome, holding concerts without interruption in a stadium that does not have a licence to do so because it is a sports venue.

The Bernabeu is indeed not legally a concert venue, but the capital's law allows extraordinary events to be held with the permission of the city. And the authorities issue these permits regularly, as evidenced by the impressive calendar of concerts at Real Madrid's stadium in 2024.

As Martínez explains, the 80-90 decibels recorded by the metres during concerts are ten times the legal standards (the scale is logarithmic, so it does not increase uniformly). According to him, the new stadium is not soundproof and the noise level is absolutely unbearable.

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Will Taylor Swift make Madrid (literally) tremble?

The next episode of the neighbours' unequal battle with Real Madrid will be a double Taylor Swift concert, which is an economic blessing for the Spanish capital. According to AS estimates, both performances will inject €25 million into Madrid. The hotel and transport sectors, as well as the city's budget through VAT, will benefit the most. The capacity of the arena for both concerts will be around 65,000, and all tickets have long since sold out.

However, economic arguments do not convince the locals, as the rehearsals, which have been going on for several days, are already difficult to bear. And during the concert itself the noise will be even more disruptive. Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida, quoted by Relevo, assured that he is working on a solution together with Real Madrid, but it is doubtful that it will be put in place in time to spare residents the headache of 29 and 30 May.

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Not just the noise

Another inconvenience caused by the Taylor Swift concert is the fleet of 100 trucks that have flooded the Hispanoamérica neighbourhood. They are obstructing traffic and making parking impossible. MARCA publicised the case of a woman whose car was towed to an unknown location while she was away to allow the trucks to park.

The hundred trucks are needed to transport the scene, which has been shrouded in mystery. According to Relevo, staff involved in the preparations for the concert are not allowed to make public photos, videos or information about the details of the performances. However, short videos and photos have started to emerge in the last few hours, which is not surprising with 1,000 people employed.

The Taylor Swift concert will be an important test of the logistical capabilities of the new Bernabeu, but the controversy surrounding the arena is growing. Residents' protests are yet another blow to Florentino Pérez's gem, as a court recently halted work on a car park to serve Real Madrid's stadium, arguing that there is no public interest in the project to justify the work. If the American star's concert again exceeds legal standards, the conflict between the neighbours and Real Madrid will escalate.

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