Barcelona's stadium renovation is accelerating rapidly. The City Council has approved a three-week extension of 24-hour construction work, a move that is expected to significantly speed up progress on key phases of the project.

Green light from city hall

On Monday, the Barcelona City Council announced its decision to extend the permit allowing round-the-clock work at Spotify Camp Nou until April 30. The previous permit expired earlier this week, but following a favorable decision by the Les Corts district authorities, uninterrupted construction will now continue five days a week.

Under the new permit, work is allowed from Monday at 8:00 AM continuously until midnight between Friday and Saturday. Saturdays are also included, with work permitted from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. However, there are two exceptions: no construction activity will be allowed on April 18 and 21 due to public holidays.

Despite the 24-hour framework, the city has imposed limits on noise and special restrictions for the former Mini Estadi site, where no work is allowed during extended hours. Municipal building inspectors will monitor compliance throughout the period and determine whether the license can be extended again.

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Pitch on way

Visible progress is being made at Spotify Camp Nou. Both the interior and exterior of the stadium are steadily taking shape. Some sections of the stands already have new seats installed, while intensive work is ongoing in the press box and VIP areas. According to optimistic projections, the new pitch may be laid by the end of the month.

This acceleration is crucial to keeping the overall stadium redevelopment on schedule. Although Hansi Flick's team will finish the current season at Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc, a partial return to Camp Nou is planned for next season.

Simultaneously, work continues on the third tier of the stadium, which will increase capacity in later stages of the project. Between the first and second tiers, new LED screens are being installed to serve as scoreboards and digital advertising displays.

VIPs take center stage

In recent weeks, the club has focused attention on one of the project's most strategic elements — the VIP zone. Originally, construction on this area was scheduled to begin in November 2024, but plans changed drastically. The club asked the contractor — Turkish firm Limak — to accelerate work and ensure the VIP boxes would be ready by May 2025.

The reason? Financial. For months, club president Joan Laporta has been negotiating the sale of 475 premium VIP seats. Ultimately, Barça signed a €100 million deal with Forta Advisors Limited and New Era Visionary Group, even though the full amount has not yet been transferred. LaLiga and the club’s auditors agreed that fast-tracking VIP construction would allow the club to record the sale as a tangible asset, easing financial reporting.

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Shifting priorities

Limak promptly responded to the new directive. In mid-March, construction began on the VIP boxes atop the second tier of seating. The club wants the new sectors to resemble their final form as closely as possible — with finished steps, handrails, and seating — to allow for early marketing and showcasing.

This was not the only change. Due to the new priority, other tasks — such as the stadium roof installation — have been postponed to the summer of 2026. The roofing process is expected to take about three months and would be difficult to carry out during the team’s planned return to Camp Nou after the September international break. According to current plans, the stadium reopening will be marked by a special Joan Gamper Trophy match.