The "crown jewel" of the Camp Nou will be delayed

BarcelonaMeeting the construction deadlines for the Camp Nou is no longer a matter of pride or a propaganda tool for Joan Laporta. Having authoritatively won the elections, the president-elect does not need grand gestures towards the social mass or populist measures to win their favor. The president's main concern is to ensure that the new stadium generates the promised revenue, and for this, it is essential to finish it as soon as possible. But all large-scale works have delays, and the blaugrana coliseum is no exception.

Obtaining the necessary permits for the reopening of the first and second stands was a real headache. First, it was supposed to be achieved in November 2024, then October 2025, and finally, no more than 60,000 people could fit in the stadium until March 2026. Delays that had their consequence in the construction of the third stand, which is where the double ring of "vip" boxes is located and which will be the "jewel in the crown" –in the words of the club's managers themselves– of a renovation that must guarantee at least 350 million euros in annual revenue.

During this time of renovations, and with the progressive return to the stadium, Laporta and his team have constantly appealed to the provisional situation and have made efforts to ensure a good presence of members in the stadium with a more than notable number of tickets sold to tourists, which allowed for great revenue. The 200 euros that the cheapest ticket cost on the day of the reopening, the 500 euros for a ticket on the day of the classic, or the 10,000 euros requested for a "vip" seat with luxurious catering at this very same Barcelona-Madrid match are an example of this.

But this is not enough. For this season, the objective was to raise 226 million with the stadium, and projections said that the next season it would be 300. However, the forecasts will have to be revised downwards because the third tier will not be available yet. At least, not until well into the season. The latest drafts speak of a partial reopening around Christmas, and in the Barça offices they are crossing their fingers to try to achieve 100% capacity –104,000 spectators– before the summer of 2027. As RAC1 reported, this is the objective the club is setting for itself, although sources from Espai Barça admit to the ARA that it will be very difficult to achieve. Everything will depend on the speed of the workers, who cannot go at the desired pace because they have to combine the renovations with the football matches, and also on the bureaucratic procedures with the Barcelona City Council.

Barça and the City Council must agree on the opening dates for the third tier

there will be about 30,000 tickets on saleThe club has taken longer than expected to install the concrete prefabricated elements in the third tier, which covered the steel skeleton and are the base on which the almost 40,000 seats that will be in the upper part of the stadium will be placed, although it will still take a considerable time before the chairs can be put there, which will not begin to be seen until the summer. Before that, the area will need to be waterproofed and painted, a task that was supposed to be done around Christmas and has been delayed until May. All this, of course, because all efforts had to be focused on the famous phases 1a, 1b and 1c of the first and second tiers.

This waterproofing, which will be done in May, is key. Firstly, to prevent images like those of January 25th from being repeated, when cascades of water fell due to the torrential rain that visited Barcelona in the match against Oviedo. But, above all, because from here the noble finishes of the luxury boxes can be made, and elevators and other sensitive elements that cannot be exposed to the elements can be installed.

The stands will gradually take on color as the weeks go by, and the compression ring will also be completed, the metallic oval that goes around the last row of seats and which will be the base on which the roof, to be built in 2027, will be supported. If all the pieces fit together, the Camp Nou will be at 100% capacity and with all seats sheltered in the first half of 2028.