It has been 7 months since the suspension of concerts at the Santiago Bernabéu and 5 months since the club hired a specialised company to soundproof it. The first effects of their efforts can now be seen: giant windows in the Skywalk area.

A leakage of sound... and artists

It was June last year. Real Madrid was triumphing with the double concert of Taylor Swift, which brought 65,000 spectators to the new Santiago Bernabéu two nights in a row. But while fans of the American singer were having a great time at Los Blancos’ temple, sound levels of up to 87 decibels were recorded in the surrounding homes, with 55 being the maximum noise level allowed until 23:00 and 45 after.

The noise also exceeded limits during other concerts throughout the summer, such as that of Karol G, provoking strong protests from neighbours who, they claimed, could not sleep. As a result, on September 13 Real Madrid announced the suspension of concerts, and in early November commissioned British company Arup to soundproof the stadium.

But several months have passed and the sound leak is still unresolved, leading to a major leak of artists. Spanish singers Lola Indigo and Aitana have already announced that instead of the Bernabeu, they will sing at Metropolitano. Other artists who come to the Spanish capital, would also probably choose the home of Real Madrid, but are left with no other choice but to perform at Atletico’s stadium. Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons, Iron Maiden, AC DC... Metropolitano's calendar for this summer is packed with world-famous artists, while the Bernabéu's looks completely empty.

© Madrid1902 | Neighbours had been complaining about the non-compliance with noise regulations for weeks, but it was Taylor Swift's concert that broke the camel's back.

In search of a solution

Although Florentino Peréz claimed that the concerts only generated 1% of the club's revenue, which means €10M, no one can deny that the damage to the club's image is serious. The new Bernabéu was to be a state-of-the-art multi-purpose stadium attracting artists from all over the world, but the ambitious plans were blocked by a neighbourhood association.

The solutions proposed to comply with the noise limits included placing very strong absorbers or closing the Skywalk, the gates and the façade slats. Real Madrid would also have proposed to the neighbours to soundproof their houses, but this plan did not come to fruition.

The latest images of the stadium suggest that the club opted to close the open spaces. Youtube channel La Nave del Madridismo posted a video from Sunday in which the first crystals closing the void in the Skywalk area can be seen. Sigfrido Herráez, dean of the Madrid College of Architects, revealed to Telecinco that the idea is to create a second skin that will close the stadium in order to comply with regulations. This solution will almost certainly require a major modification to the ventilation system, as closing the stadiums open spaces will impede airflow.

© Bernabéu | The workmen are closing the Skywalk, and will probably have to do the same with the gates and the façade slats.