Barcelona will return to the Camp Nou next week after more than two years away, with the club confirming that their home fixture against Athletic Bilbao on November 22 will mark the official reopening of the renovated stadium.
The Catalan side has been playing at alternative venues since construction began at the end of the 2022/23 season, most notably the Olympic Stadium on Montjuic hill. The rebuild, which forms part of a €1.5 billion redevelopment project, has faced repeated delays and is reopening a year later than initially planned.
The club said the stadium will open with a temporary capacity of 45,401 seats, while the final design, expected to be completed in phases, will eventually accommodate 105,000 spectators. Earlier in November, Barcelona admitted 23,000 fans for a training session as part of safety testing ahead of the stadium’s return to full match use.
Read also: La Liga Confirms ‘Historic’ Barcelona Match in Miami
UEFA Approval Still Pending for December Champions League Match
Barcelona also hopes to host Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on December 9, but the club must first receive clearance from UEFA. Safety concerns earlier in the season forced the Spanish champions to play two matches at their 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium after the Camp Nou failed to meet approval requirements.
The original stadium, built in 1957, previously held around 99,000 fans. The ongoing redevelopment will include the installation of a new roof, now scheduled for completion in the summer of 2027, one year behind the original timeline.
As the phased reopening continues, club officials say they are focused on stabilizing match-day operations while construction teams complete work on the upper tiers and exterior elements.
Barcelona’s return to Camp Nou comes at a crucial point in the season, with the team aiming to settle back into familiar surroundings after their extended exile.
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