The Spotify Camp Nou third tier will remain closed to spectators for the remainder of the season, after FC Barcelona scrapped plans to gradually reopen the stadium’s highest level. Construction timelines and logistical hurdles forced club executives to abandon targets that would have welcomed fans back to the upper bowl for the final four or five home fixtures of the campaign.
Construction Realities and Municipal Licensing
Remodeling a historic venue of this scale has repeatedly tested municipal approvals and construction schedules since work began in 2023. While club officials successfully reopened the first and second tiers in phases, the third tier requires a unified municipal operating license. Under local regulatory frameworks, public access to the highest ring cannot be granted in isolated zones; when fans finally return to the third tier, the entire upper bowl must open simultaneously at full capacity.
Opening the third tier for a handful of matches failed to justify the operational effort and financial burden of installing temporary seating that would require dismantling over the summer. Comprehensive installation work on the stadium’s massive roof structure will commence immediately upon the conclusion of the current season. This intricate engineering phase—centered on the horizontal “big lift” utilizing heavy tensioned cables managed by Turkish contractor Limak alongside four specialized subcontractors—will render the pitch and newly installed seating areas temporarily unusable for a minimum of six months.
Consequently, manager Hansi Flick’s squad will continue playing home fixtures away from the main venue at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Montjuïc, with the temporary relocation expected to extend into early 2028. When supporters eventually re-enter the Camp Nou, the third tier will be fully equipped to seat approximately 35,000 fans in the upper sections, including designated visitor seating configurations.
Revenue Targets and VIP Suite Expansion
Although overall seating capacity currently hovers around 62,000 spectators without the upper tier, the club aims to expand matchday capacity toward 70,000 by completing the VIP suites and hospitality seats situated between the second and third rings. Barcelona executives set an objective to open all intermediate VIP areas before the end of the current season, though officials noted that completion remains an internal target rather than a guaranteed timeline.
Accelerating hospitality revenue is vital for servicing the financial obligations tied to the stadium’s massive redevelopment loan managed by Goldman Sachs. Because interest repayments commenced before construction reached completion, the club’s recent Delegate Assembly authorized an additional €510 million in financing to manage capital costs throughout the multi-year renovation project.
