Estadio Santiago Bernabéu – stadium description

What does the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu look like in a nutshell?

Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is one of the most recognizable stadiums in the world. The facility is the home of Real Madrid, one of the most successful, most popular and highest-earning football clubs in the globe. With a capacity of around 80,000 spectators, the Bernabéu also ranks among the top largest stadiums in Europe.

The stadium opened in 1947 and has since undergone several major upgrades. The current “new Bernabéu” is the result of a massive reconstruction underway since 2019, costing more than €1 billion, making the project one of the most expensive stadium upgrades in history.

The stadium features an original, futuristic façade composed of silver slats, and inside it is characterized by very steep stands. The facility is equipped with a number of advanced technological solutions, such as a retractable roof, a panoramic video screen and a retractable pitch.

The Bernabéu has a rich history of hosting important events, such as matches of the 1964 European Championship and 1982 World Cup, finals of major club competitions and matches of the Spanish national team. In 2030, the stadium will again be one of the venues for the World Cup, which will be hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

What did the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu look like until the major reconstruction initiated in 2019?

The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu was opened on December 14, 1947, and the facility was built right next to Real Madrid's previous stadium, the Estadio de Chamartín. Although when it was built, there was a lot of open space around it, today it is surrounded by dense urban development. The stadium has undergone many upgrades and has been expanded several times.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the capacity of the venue was about 81,000 spectators, making it one of the top largest stadiums in Europe. The facility was characterized by high and very steep stands, and much of the auditorium was covered. The main (east) stand had a different character from the others. In the external appearance, four spiral towers, located behind the corners, attracted attention.

The history of the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu up to the time of the major reconstruction starting in 2019 is presented on a separate subpage

When were the plans for the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu expansion conceived?

The subsequent fifth major expansion of Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, aimed to significantly modernize the stadium, became one of the priorities of Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, especially after he took office for the second time in 2009.

In June 2012, the club announced the launch of an international competition for an architectural concept for the stadium's expansion. On September 30, 2012, four concepts were presented, prepared by teams composed of renowned architectural studios from around the world. On January 31, 2014, Pérez announced the selection of the concept created by gmp Architekten, L35 Arquitectos and Ribas & Ribas Arquitectos.

Implementation of the project was delayed by problems over land ownership around the stadium. In the meantime, details of the concept were being refined. In the final design, the hotel and shopping mall were dropped, and a more simplified variant was chosen for the stadium's façade on the east side. After the project had already begun, it was also announced that a retractable pitch would be built as part of the redevelopment.

What did the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu expansion project entail?

The concept created by gmp Architekten, L35 Arquitectos and Ribas & Ribas Arquitectos called for an east-west expansion of the stadium. Additional premises on the western side were to house a new three-story Real Madrid museum. Also on the western side, the two existing external spiral towers were to be replaced with new ones.

The stadium was to receive a completely new, futuristic façade, covered with silver slats, as well as a new roof with a lockable section over the pitch. Inside, there was to be a panoramic video screen and a system for folding the turf into segments and storing them in underground storage.

The main stand in the upper section was to receive an additional floor. Replacement of the seats and a number of other renovations and improvements were also assumed. The capacity of the stadium was to remain rather unchanged. A circular service tunnel was to be built under the stands, and the number of underground parking spaces within the stadium area was to be increased.

Detailed information on the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu expansion project can be found on a separate subpage

When was the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu expansion carried out?

Four companies, FCC, Ferrovial, Acciona and San José, were invited to tender for the main contractor for the work and submitted their bids on February 15, 2019. On May 8, 2019, Real announced the selection of FCC Construcción. Work began the same month.

FCC Construcción has been given 39 months to complete the job, until August 2022, and an additional four months to complete the work on the stadium's exterior. According to this schedule, the reconstruction would have been completed in December 2022, in time for the stadium's 75th anniversary. During the work, Real was expected to continue playing its matches at the stadium.

The original deadline could not be met. This was affected by the war in Ukraine and changes made to the project, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, although this one also sped up some of the processes, as Real did not play matches at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu for a year and a half, from March 2020 to September 2021, giving the builders more leeway.

As the work was clearly prolonged, a new opening date was set for December 23, 2023 (the stadium is actually open, but the club intends to hold a special ceremony to mark the completion of the construction). However, this date could not be met either, and the reinauguration was postponed to other dates. As of late fall 2024, completion is expected before the summer of 2025.

For coverage of the rebuilding of the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, see a separate subpage

When was the “new Bernabéu” built?

During the initial period of work, the stadium strongly resembled a construction site. Noticeable effects of the reconstruction appeared over the course of 2023, when a new façade was gradually built, the roof was being finished (including the enclosed section), a video screen was installed, the seats in the stands were replaced and a new floor of the main stand was opened.

As of 2024, the works are becoming less and less of a chore and are more in the nature of finishing work, with fans and players enjoying an expanded and modern “new Bernabéu”. However, full completion of the works and the reopening ceremony is not expected until 2025.

How much did it cost to rebuild the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu?

The value of the contract signed in 2019 with the FCC was €475 million. Together with other expenses, the cost of the entire project was then expected to be €575 million. A loan for this amount was previously obtained from US financial institutions (Bank of America and JP Morgan), with not much participation from Spanish banks.

In November 2021, the club took out an additional loan from Bank of America and JP Morgan for €225 million, increasing the loan taken out for the entire investment to €800 million. The COVID-19 pandemic, the outbreak of war in Ukraine and changes to the project caused costs to keep rising, and in November 2023 the club decided to take out another €370 million loan.

The total investment cost thus rose to €1.17 billion. The change from the initial assumptions (€300-400 million at initial estimates and €575 million at the start of the project) is therefore very significant. With such expenses, this will be one of the most expensive stadium upgrades in the world.

How does the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu look like?

How does the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu look from the outside?

The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu has an original, futuristic look, far from the traditional forms and associations related to football stadiums. When viewed from above, the facility takes the form of a roughly oval rectangle, with clearly rounded tops and a slight bulge on the eastern side.

The exterior envelope of the stadium is formed by the façade and roof, which are covered with a series of horizontal metal slats that have been specially treated to minimize solar reflections. The silver slats are an important design element that gives the building a unique, modern character.

Two surfaces can be distinguished in the façade with a break line running through the middle, lavishing up or down. The bottom part is left with an indentation revealing access to the building's entrances and the bases of the four corner towers.

The façade is not hermetic, and the spaces between the slats allow sunlight to penetrate the interior and air to circulate freely. The façade can be illuminated or used as a screen for multimedia content projection.

The heavily flattened dome of the roof received larger bevels only on the sides. The boundary between the roof and the façade is marked by a gap in which there is a wide, circular terrace (skywalk), offering views of the field on one side and the city skyline on the other.

How does the roof closure system at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu function?

The stadium's roof is equipped with an opening and closing section above the pitch. In the open position, elements of the system are parked under the roof on the north and south sides. When closing, the metal trusses move toward the center, stretching the membrane. The membrane is then still lifted slightly upward. The operation of opening or closing the roof takes 15-20 minutes.

What kind of video screen is the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu equipped with?

A circular video screen (one of the few of its kind in the world) has been suspended under the roof of the stadium. Over the stands behind the goals, the screen is slightly wider. It has also been equipped with additional monitors on the outside, positioned for viewers in the upper stands who may have an obstructed view of the main screen.

How do the stands at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu look like?

The stadium has a symmetrical, football-oriented layout of the stands, although the main stand, which is located to the east, has a distinct form. This is a consequence of the stadium's irregular expansion – the eastern stand was enlarged as early as the 1950s, while the other stands only grew in the 1990s, according to a different scheme, by overbuilding a very steep third floor that clearly overlaps the lower level.

During the latest expansion, the main grandstand also received a third, upper floor. It is relatively narrow, with a slightly arched top edge.

The stands at the Bernabéu, especially the second and third floors, are very steep. For safety reasons, the entire third floor is equipped with protective railings. Dark blue seats are installed in the auditorium, and the capacity of the stadium is about 80,000 spectators, making it one of the largest in Europe.

Three glazed pavilions have been built on the top of the stands: one, wide, over the western stand (the so-called skybar) and two smaller ones over the eastern corners. The pavilion in the southeast corner is designed for staff performing surveillance and control over the facility. The other two pavilions house upscale bars and restaurants.

How does the retractable pitch system at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu work?

One of the high-tech solutions used at the Bernabéu is a system that folds the turf into segments and hides them underground. Once the pitch is removed, the plaza inside the stands can be used to host events that would normally pose a threat to the condition of the turf, such as concerts with large audiences, or to turn the facility into a sports hall with construction inside additional temporary stands.

When the pitch is being assembled, the turf is divided into six longitudinal sections, each measuring 107 × 12 meters and weighing about 1,500 tons, which are moved and then run down to an underground storage area.

An additional seventh movable module does not go underground, but is slid in and out from under the west stand. This module is a kind of lid that closes the storage after all six segments have gone down. The procedure for folding or unfolding the pitch takes about six hours.

The underground storage area, called the hypogeum, is located under the western part of the pitch, along its entire length. It is a vast, 30-meter-deep, concreted pit. The pitch segments are stored in it one above the other.

The pit is equipped with ventilation, lighting, irrigation and monitoring systems. The modules have drainage and are stored at appropriate intervals to allow personnel to move freely around the turf and perform additional treatments.

Although turf folding/moving mechanisms already exist in other stadiums, the system designed for the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, using deep underground storage, is unique. It is also a very expensive solution, with costs estimated at €225 million.

Is it possible to visit the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu?

The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is available for tours, which also include a visit to Real Madrid's new museum. The museum occupies three floors and contains numerous memorabilia related to the club's history like balls, jerseys, documents and trophies, as well as multimedia presentations and maquettes. Part of the museum is dedicated to current players, as well as youth teams or the women's team. Much attention is also given to Real Madrid's award-winning basketball section. In addition, the stadium has an official club store.

Where is the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu located?

The stadium is located in the Chamartín district, a few kilometers north of downtown Madrid. Next to the stadium is the Santiago Bernabéu metro station on line 10.

Does a railway tunnel run under the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu?

It is interesting to note that there is a railway tunnel running under the stadium, and its top edge at its shallowest part is about a meter below the pitch. It is the oldest (opened in 1967) of the three tunnels that run between Chamartín and Atocha stations.

How Estadio Santiago Bernabéu compares to other LaLiga stadiums?

Who is the host of the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu?

The host of the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is Real Madrid, one of the most successful football clubs in the world. The team has a record number of victories in domestic league competitions, the European Cup/Champions League and the Club World Cup, among others. The team is one of the most popular, with a large fan base around the world, and is also among the world's highest earning clubs.

What events, other than Real Madrid matches, are held at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu?

The stadium is designed to host a variety of sporting and non-sporting events, such as matches of the Spanish national team and cultural events. In 2030, Spain will co-host the football World Cup, and the Bernabéu is to be one of the venues for the tournament; the stadium is even one of the candidates to host the final.

Real is particularly set on hosting large concerts at the stadium, which were expected to help increase revenues from its operation. The ability to host music events frequently was one of the reasons they decided to invest in a retractable pitch system.

On May 29 and 30, 2024, the record-breaking Taylor Swift performed at the Bernabéu. This was the first major concert after the stadium was rebuilt, followed by a series of subsequent concerts by well-known music stars.

The concerts, however, aroused much discontent among local residents, who complained about the noise. Lawsuits also followed in tandem with the protests, and in September 2024 Real suspended the concerts until 2025 and announced that steps would be taken to seal the facility so that the noise coming on the outside would not exceed acceptable standards.