While FC Barcelona has announced a grand return to Spotify Camp Nou on August 10, the Barcelona City Council is urging caution. The club has yet to secure the necessary permits, and the local community is still waiting for construction to be completed.

Match announced, permits missing

August 10, 2025, was meant to be a celebration — after over two years of absence, FC Barcelona plans to host the Joan Gamper Trophy at Camp Nou. It would be the first match at the renovated stadium since May 28, 2023. However, despite the club’s official statement, reality may interfere. The City Council has warned that Barça has not yet submitted the required application for an occupancy permit, which is essential for hosting a public event.

Barça needs an occupancy license. To get that license, they must first complete the first phase of works, which hasn’t happened yet clarified Laia Bonet, the city’s first deputy mayor.

© FC Barcelona

Unfinished construction and bureaucratic hurdles

Though the club insists that August 10 is a realistic return date, the state of the construction site says otherwise. Work is still ongoing at the stadium, particularly on the dual VIP ring, interior finishing, and surrounding areas.

FC Barcelona claims it has applied for a preliminary activity inspection and first occupancy license and is now waiting for the city’s response. However, as Bonet emphasized, even after completion, formal approval will take time. She expressed hope that the club has calculated everything precisely in this regard.

© FC Barcelona

Construction nightmare for residents

For the past two years, the Camp Nou neighborhood has turned into a massive construction zone. For local residents like Ana Ramón, a 73-year-old president of the Camp Nou neighborhood association, the stadium renovation has been a burden: I’d like them to start playing even earlier to put an end to this torture of dust and noise. They’ve installed seats and turf, but fans still have a long way to go before they can attend matches.

We’ve heard they want to open the stadium on August 10 and we can’t wait. Since then, only tourists come to the bar to look at the ruins, trucks, construction, and the iron skeleton of Camp Nou said Lorena, who works at El Rellotge bar near Riera Blanca. Similar concerns are being raised by other local business owners.

© FC Barcelona

Hope mixed with disbelief

Despite the fatigue, many residents — like Rafael from the Horta district — are still watching the progress with interest. The retiree often stands at the Les Corts intersection, tracking the work: It’s impossible. In a month and a half, it can’t be ready for a game.

Others, however, see the reopening as a form of liberation. At Casa Pin, a popular bar among construction workers, there’s a sense of anticipation: We’ve noticed there are no matches, and we hope they’ll return soon. We need the football atmosphere — and the trucks to leave.

Though the announcement of the Gamper Trophy date has stirred excitement among fans, Barça’s return to Camp Nou remains uncertain. Once they finish, we can enter and see if it’s ready to host a crowd, but doing so earlier would be irresponsible concluded Laia Bonet, clearly skeptical.