The Nou Camp - Barcelona’s Home Ground

It is regarded as one of the greatest stadiums in modern times, and rightfully so.
Camp Nou was completed in 1957 and since then has been the home of FC Barcelona. It has been rated by UEFA as a 5 Star Stadium giving it elite status among world stadia.

Capacity throughout the years has varied due to ground improvements and subsequent restrictions on standing. Various sources state that it now seats 98,787 at full capacity. On its inauguration, 93,053 watched the very first game played there between FC Barcelona and Legia Warsaw in a friendly. And for the 1982 FIFA World Cup, its capacity grew to a staggering 120,000.

Plans for the future have now been put in place to upgrade the stadium. The main focus of the new project is not on capacity increase but to ‘turn the stadium into an integrated and highly visible urban environment’. The 250 million euro project indicates that after refurbishment, at least 50% of the stadiums seats must be under cover. Around 10,000 additional seats will be added.

The ground has been witness to many famous moments and occasions throughout its 50 year plus history. It has been the host to several European football finals, including the famous 1999 Champions League victory of Manchester United and was also the setting for the 1992 Olympic football final when Spain ran out winners against Poland.

A stadium tour is now available to anyone who wishes to visit. The tour allows you to visit and discover every aspect of the club and its history. You will be able to step into the president’s box where (Joan Laporta, the club president, watches every home game), the press area, where managers either squirm after defeat or bask in the glory of victory. After a look around the changing rooms you get a taste of the feeling that the players get when you step out of the tunnel onto the pitch. From there you progress to the club museum, considered one of, if not, the greatest of its kind in the world. It details every single piece of history and glory from the clubs illustrious existence.

Away from football, the stadium has also been used as a venue for many notable musical acts. Distinguished groups or artists to have performed there in the past include U2, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen and Spanish legend Julio Iglesias. On 17th November 1982 the stadium was used for a very different reason. On this day, Pope John Paul II celebrated a mass with a congregation of over 120,000 people.

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