Real Madrid, are currently in the works of renovating their home stadium, the Santiago Bernabeu since 2019, check out the renovation progress, investment, completion date, events, history, tickets, stadium tours, and cost
The new Santiago Bernabeu will represent the next chapter in the club’s illustrious trophy-filled history.
Real Madrid new stadium Santiago Bernabeu renovation cost, latest update, finish completion date, capacity
Looks pretty much damaged from inside, but Santiago Bernabeu's renovation is 85% done. ❤ pic.twitter.com/yYuBRAZHl9
— R M The Best ⚽️🦁🔼🔝 (@RealMadridTBest) July 18, 2023
Image: The renovation works at the Santiago Bernabéu today.
— @maribeldejesusd pic.twitter.com/MJMytBQ5uv
— Madrid Universal (@MadridUniversal) July 15, 2023
Aside from providing more financial revenue, the new project will help elevate the fan experience and overall atmosphere. Moreover, it will help the club attract and retain the best talents from across the world.
Real Madrid Santiago Bernabeu renovation plans and progress
Real Madrid are set to spend around €575 million (£494 million) for the renovation of the Santiago Bernabeu, through a secured loan. The main aim of the project is to turn the iconic venue into a state-of-the-art football cathedral. However, like any other large-scale construction, the project has faced several delays and unforeseen hurdles.
Real Madrid President, Florentino Perez, spearhead’s the project and has faced a significant number of obstacles from the beginning. Several problems like construction delays due to logistical issues, spiralling costs, and unforeseen structural challenges have all affected the progress of the renovation process. Despite all this, the Galacticos only see all of these challenges as normal for undertaking a project of such magnitude.
The Santiago Bernabeu redevelopment process began with the first stage, which included the dismantling of the stadium’s current roof. Workers then built new towers on the ground’s west side and completely renovated the seats on the bottom two tiers. Besides that, the new stadium will also feature a retractable roof and pitch surface. During retraction, a subterranean greenhouse will maintain the new pitch surface.
This will allow the club to host other events besides football matches like concerts, NFL games and other sporting events. Moreover, this will also allow Real Madrid to earn some extra revenue besides income from match day tickets, kit sales and bonuses for winning trophies.
Santiago Bernabeu investments
Real Madrid have made various investments in renovating their home stadium. The Los Blancos signed a deal with Legends and Sixth Street back in 2022. According to the deal, they now have control over stadium operations for twenty years in exchange for £309 million.
Based on this deal, the Spanish giants will receive seventy per cent of the stadium revenue. According to estimates the club will earn revenues, which will increase by £129 million per year. This will help the side compete with Premier League teams and also attract lots of new top talents with Real Madrid already serving as an attractive destination for many top players.
Santiago Bernabeu renovations expected completion date
According to reports, the expected completion date for the Santiago Bernabeu is set around September or October 2023. The official opening will feature a special concert taking place in December 2023 during the La Liga winter break. Workers are currently in the final stretch of construction ever since the 2022/2023 campaign ended.
Club officials were originally hoping to unveil the new stadium with its 75th birthday back in December 2022. However, there were delays due to various factors like the World Cup in Qatar and COVID-19.
Santiago Bernabeu events
The first event set to take place at the new stadium will be a concert by American singer Taylor Swift. Taylor recently unveiled her ‘The Eras Tour’ and the one in the Bernabeu will take place on 30 May 2024. The event will open up the venue to more future events.
Stadium history
The Santiago Bernabeu has a rich history, having hosted many major games and events in the past. Together with Camp Nou, the stadium hosted the 1964 European Championships. The Bernanbeu hosted one of the two semi-finals and the final match between Spain and the Soviet Union which ended 2-1.
The stadium already started to age towards the end of the 1970s. As a result, several high-ranking club officials started making plans to build a new stadium in the north of the city. The first renovation of the Bernabeu started off with the construction of a roof over the three two-tiered stands followed by new seats installed in half of the stadium.
During the 1990s, UEFA required the stadium to become an all-seater, reducing its capacity to 50,000 seats. This led to the then club president, Mendoza starting an extensive redevelopment plan. The plans included extending the third tier over the entire stadium. It also involved building new corporate facilities and creating four access towers in each corner of the stadium. All these works began in 1992 and finished just two years later in 1994.
The club made further upgrades in 2001 and 2006 and in 2012, Real Madrid presented plans to further upgrade the stadium capacity to over 90,000 seats. However, this plan was put on hold following a European Union investigation about the granting of illegal state aid. Later in 2017, the club revised the plans to add a retractable roof and more hospitality features for fans.
Estadio Santiago Bernabeu tickets
Fans can currently purchase tickets for Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu online through the official website or Ticketmaster. Fans can also purchase the tickets from the stadium’s ticket windows.
While regular game day tickets usually go on sale during the week before the match, VIP experiences and tickets are available much earlier. Fans can find it hard to get tickets to high-profile games like El Classico and big Champions League ties. Ticket prices usually vary depending on the opponent, but typically start at around £25.00 for seats behind the goal. Meanwhile, the seats at one of the sides cost around £34.00.
Santiago Bernabeu stadium tours
Currently, self-guided stadium tours are available for anyone who is interested to look around the famous Spanish stadium. Fans will get to see a route through the dugouts, presidential box, press room, changing rooms, players’ tunnel and trophy room, eventually ending in the club shop.
The stadium is open from Mondays to Saturdays starting from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. It is also open on Sundays and public holidays starting from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm. Fans do not need to book any reservations for the tour but they can always book them in advance online. While standard tickets for the tour will cost £21, there are premium options available at higher prices.
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