Barça partially fulfills its promise at the Camp Nou

BarcelonaOne more season, Barça's season ticket holders will have to live with the provisional nature of things. The Camp Nou is not yet finished and, with 60,000 seats available, only a portion of season ticket holders can fit in the stadium. Therefore, provisional passes are maintained and season tickets remain on hold. But prices do change, which are between 30% and 35% more expensive compared to last season. The club announced this to its members this Thursday, just the day the process to renew these passes for the 2026/27 season began.

The price increase has generated some buzz on social media, but the rise is not so pronounced when considering that last season began with three matches at the Johan Cruyff Stadium (which were deducted from the season ticket), continued at Montjuïc, and ended at the Camp Nou. Therefore, this is the first full season at the stadium, which, for the moment, can only reopen the first and second stands.

Watching the entire season from the upper tribune area costs 1,443 euros, compared to 1,092 last season, 32% more; while doing so in the lower tribune costs 1,318, 34% more compared to the previous 987. The most significant increase is in the second tier of the goals, which goes from 462 to 622 (+35%), and the most moderate increase is in the lower part of the goals, from 420 to 547, 30%. This part of the stadium is affected by visibility problems that prevent seeing the entire field in the front rows. A situation that the club is working to resolve as soon as possible.

Average 10% increase compared to the last year before the start of the reform

A couple of years ago, Joan Laporta's board – who on July 1st will legally be president of Barça again – announced in various meetings with fan groups that they would implement a price containment policy for the return to Camp Nou; and that any increases, if they occurred, would only happen once the works were finished. The board has partially kept this promise, as compared to the last year before the renovations, the price of season tickets has increased by around 10%. There are a couple of exceptions: the lower tribune area has become slightly more expensive, just over 2%, going from 1,286 in the 22/23 season to the current 1,318; while the biggest difference is noticeable in the corner of the second tier, which goes from 571 euros before the renovation to the current 749 (+22%). In addition to all this, it should be taken into account that the stadium is still under construction, that some services are not yet available, and that some amenities, such as the roof, are pending construction.

For now, only the first and second tiers are operational. The third tier, although the structure is already built, will not be available to the public until the first quarter of 2027. And with partial capacity, as the club's forecast is that, with luck, they can return to 100% capacity before the summer of 2027. Then the roof will be installed – during this time they will have to exile themselves to Montjuïc again – and, by 2028, the renovation will be considered complete. It will be at this point when the club proposes a significant increase in the price of season tickets, which some consulted sources estimate will be around an additional 30%. The board maintains that the decision has not yet been made and avoids talking about specific figures.

and, by 2028, the renovation will be considered complete. It will be at this point when the club proposes a significant increase in the price of season tickets, which some consulted sources estimate will be around an additional 30%. The board maintains that the decision has not yet been made and avoids talking about specific figures.

A seat is guaranteed, but repeating in the same area is not guaranteed

Therefore, provisionality continues. Since there is currently no room for everyone, the board – still provisionally chaired by Rafael Yuste – has decided to maintain the same policy as in recent years: to give priority to members who supported the team and bought a season ticket. Those who are on leave will maintain that status until the stadium reaches 100% capacity. Therefore, members who already had a pass – both those who started the season at Montjuïc and those who joined later with the reopening of the North Stand – are guaranteed a seat at the Camp Nou for this season. However, they are not guaranteed their exact spot. The club opened the process this Thursday the 25th at 12 noon and it will be operational until July 1st at midnight.

This process has generated controversy, as Barça informed about it via an email sent to members this very Thursday at 9 am, just three hours before it was launched. Furthermore, since it only reserves the right to have a seat, but not the area itself, it may happen that some areas sell out immediately and fans have to choose an alternative, which is detrimental in terms of cost and visibility.

In fact, the club had not previously published the prices for these season tickets, which members did not know until they started the purchase process. However, for those who find it difficult to pay the full amount at once, Barça again allows for installment payments.