With just a month and a half to go before Bad Bunny arrives in Madrid to play 10 concerts at Estadio Metropolitano, his show has reached the Ombudsman. Local residents are complaining about the noise, litter and traffic jams, and are even calling for the closure of Atletico Madrid’s stadium. The City Council defends the event.

Bad Bunny at Estadio Metropolitano: 10 concerts in 2 weeks

Concerts in Madrid are all the rage. Shakira has announced that she will build a stadium to host 11 concerts in the Spanish capital. The same number of performances that Coldplay will give in 2027 at the Estadio Metropolitano. But in just a few weeks, the Rojiblanco temple will be the venue for Bad Bunny’s show. Or better said, shows.

The Puerto Rican artist is set to arrive in Madrid to give 10 concerts in just two weeks, between May 30 and June 15. However, not everyone is happy about what this series of events will bring.

Traffic jams, crime and litter

The Las Musas–Las Rosas Neighbourhood Association claims that the concerts result in traffic jams, parking difficulties, safety concerns and litter. They also complain about the encroachment of pavements by restaurant and café terraces. They claim to have lodged numerous complaints and reports, but the authorities have turned a deaf ear to them. Faced with what they call complete neglect, they decided to commission a damning report that proves noise levels have exceeded authorised limits. The stands at the Rojiblanco stadium are open at the junction of the old Peineta structure and the stands built between 2011 and 2017.

© Alberto Molina, Atlético de Madrid / The stands at Estadio Metropolitano are not fully enclosed.

The concerts reach the Ombudsman's Office

The Association submitted its complaints to the Ombudsman at the end of October. In a letter, the residents reiterate their allegations and also point out that the Metropolitano does not hold a specific licence for non-sporting events. For each concert, they have to apply for a special licence for one-off and extraordinary events, which in some cases implies implicit authorisation to exceed noise levels, they claim.

On March 19, the Ombudsman, Ángel Gabilondo, announced that the complaint had been accepted for consideration. He also requested information from the City Council. We have not yet received a response, said the Ombudsman’s spokesperson in comments to El País.

However, the city council defends the concerts at the Metropolitano. Apart from the odd isolated incident, they are consistently complying with all regulations and municipal by-laws. I believe it is important for the city to have venues where the most prominent international artists can perform, as is currently the case with Bad Bunny, said Deputy Mayor Inma Sanz when asked about the matter on SER.

© Julián Angel Muñoz Gutiérrez / The Estadio Metropolitano has a concert capacity of around 60,000 spectators.

Residents call for the close of Metropolitano, but propose solutions

Local residents, however, are demanding that the authorities take action. Citing Articles 43 and 45 of the Spanish Constitution, which guarantee the right to health and a suitable environment, they are calling for real solutions to all the problems outlined, which may involve the precautionary closure of the stadium or a reduction in capacity until the issues have been resolved.

Nevertheless, in a constructive spirit, the residents’ association has proposed a series of solutions. These cover a wide range of measures, from improving access routes, through prioritising public transport and installing fixed noise and pollution monitoring stations, to penalties, including closure, for bars and restaurants whose terraces encroach on public spaces far beyond what is permitted. They also propose that on match days or concert days, there should be zones where only residents and workers in the neighbourhood are allowed to park.