Without a doubt, Camp Nou is one of the world's most famous and well-known football venues. On September 24, 1957, FC Barcelona's official stadium was inaugurated. The previous stadium was unable to accommodate the growing number of spectators, necessitating the construction of a new structure. When Hungarian great Ladislaus Kubala was finally welcomed into the team, a genuine buzz around the football club erupted in the Catalan capital, which has not dissipated to the present day. On the contrary, "Barca" today has devoted admirers across the world, and their numbers continue to grow.
Camp Nou - FC Barcelona stadium
Camp Nou was developed in cooperation with Lorenzo Garcia Barbón by a team directed by architects Francesc Mitjans Miró and Josep Soteras Mauri. It is mostly made of steel and concrete and cost more than the proud price of 288 million pesetas at the time. For a few years, the club had to nibble at them. Although the stadium was initially called "Estadi del FC Barcelona," the moniker "Camp Nou," which translates as "the new field," won out. The official name change occurred in 2000/2001, following a written survey of members. Camp Nou has been a 5-star stadium since the 1998/1999 season, an honor bestowed by UEFA on just five venues in all of Spain.
The others are as follows:
Olympic Stadium of the Lluis Company (also Barcelona)
Seville's new Cartuja Olympic Stadium
Vicente Calderón (Atlético Madrid's stadium) and
el Estadio Santiago Bernabeu (Real Madrid stadium)
Camp Nou is Europe's largest football stadium, despite its ancient age, with a maximum height of 48 metres and a total surface area of 55,000 square metres. Apart from the playing field and spectator stands, the Camp Nou is also home to a church adjacent to the changing rooms, a presidential box, a VIP lounge, a press center, and many television studios. Additionally, there is a sports medicine facility, an infirmary, a veterans' section, and a museum, in addition to various offices and administrative spaces.
Camp Nou ticket pricing & availability
What is the pricing like? How do you go about exploring Camp Nou? Simply the way, you may skip the wait entirely by downloading the Camp Nou ticket on your smartphone. You have the option of selecting the date of your visit. Additionally, a German audio guide is available. Disadvantage: If you are not present on the scheduled day and time, your ticket will expire without being replaced.
What to see and do during your Camp Nou Experience
True football lovers among Barcelona tourists go to Camp Nou not only for the best games but also to see the museum. Around 1.2 million tourists per year come to the "Camp Nou Experience." On about 3,500 square metres, you may learn everything there is to know about FC Barcelona, as well as take a journey through its history. Naturally, countless religious artifacts from Messi & Co. - as well as past FC players - are on exhibit here.
Camp Nou - FC Barcelona stadium
Trophies and awards earned during the club's more than 100-year existence are displayed in a 50-metre-long display case. Additionally, you may take a tour of the stadium and see what goes on behind the scenes (even in the cabins). A visit to the chapel, which allows solvent couples to marry, is also recommended.
Your own way through the Camp Nou
The Camp Nou Experience does not have a scheduled guided tour. You are welcome to explore the stadium on your own, including the press stand, players tunnel, chapel, and museum. Additionally, at your own speed. The German-language audio guide, which is available for an additional fee of 5 euros, gives fascinating historical context.
Camp Nou guided tours
As previously stated, the stadium does not offer guided tours. Nonetheless, guided excursions with private guides are available around the region. This also contains the "Mini Estadi," which has been the home of the reserve squad since 1982. Additionally, "La Masia" is located here. Until 2011, this renovated 18th-century farmhouse housed the club's youth program. Private tours must be reserved in advance.
Is the stadium consistently sold out for FC Barcelona matches?
Each FC Barcelona game attracts an average of 86,000 fans. Camp Nou has over 1,700,000 visitors every season, only for FC Barcelona soccer games.
Is there sufficient standing room?
The Camp Nou can seat over 100,000 people, which no other stadium in Europe can match. However, this figure has fluctuated significantly since the arena's inception: in 1957, it housed 93,053 people and even 120,000 during the 1982 World Cup. Standing rooms are now prohibited under the new restrictions. As a result, over 99,000 fans now have a seat at Camp Nou.
Where are the genuine Barcelona supporters and where are the visiting supporters?
Camp Nou's guest block: Admittedly, visiting team fans do not have it easy at Camp Nou. Around 5,000 fans can be accommodated in the guest block. This is placed in the east stand's upper ring, about halfway between the centerline and the south-facing gate. Regrettably, the view of the field is not especially excellent from this vantage point.
Camp Nou - FC Barcelona stadium
Camp Nou's fan block: The finest seats behind the gates are allocated for home supporters. Generally, tickets for these locations are not accessible through regular ticket sales.
The Camp Nou stadium's proposed refurbishment
FC Barcelona revealed their Camp Nou stadium redevelopment proposals on March 9, 2016. The FC has ambitious plans: Camp Nou will be rebuilt and upgraded within two years at a cost of up to 600 million euros. In 2015, an open tender was launched, and a panel of specialists selected the design by the Japanese architecture company Nikken Sekkei. The judges were taken aback by its open, beautiful, and timeless concept for the stadium, as Nikken Sekkei has previously earned a name for itself largely via the construction of high-rise structures and television towers.
Camp Nou's new design will include all-around covering and an increase in seating capacity from about 99,000 to 105,000. However, the remodeling work should cause so minimal disruption to regular match operations that the club is not forced to relocate.
However, the restructuring plans have been put on hold indefinitely, since Barca must first pay off, or at least decrease, a substantial mountain of debt. This was undoubtedly not an easy choice for the club. After all, Camp Nou's 60th anniversary would have been commemorated on a building site. Additionally, the FC wishes to sell the name rights to Camp Nou's renovation. If you are interested, you must put down around 25 million euros for a 20-year term.
How long should you budget for the visit?
You will require around 1.5 to 2 hours at the museum. Because the museum does not have a set schedule for guided tours, you can plan your visit accordingly. Occasionally, you may have to wait more than an hour for entry due to the restricted number of guests.
What is the optimal time of year to visit?
It is recommended that you arrive before 11:00 a.m. or after 4:00 p.m. (on non-game days). Then it will be less busy and you will not have to queue in front of the door.
FC Barcelona is already on summer break in June and July, therefore you can visit the stadium during the specified hours.
On match days, Camp Nou is closed to all save museum visitors three hours before the start of the game. The museum is even closed the day before major games. As a result, it's important to peruse the website prior to making your way to the stadium.
Where is Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium located?
Since this is the case with the majority of large venues, coming by vehicle is one of those things, as there are severe parking shortages here, particularly during top games. Fortunately, Camp Nou is located near enough to the city center to be easily accessible by public transportation. Naturally, there is usually a great deal more going on following football games. However, because people are dispersed over several stations and other modes of transit, the traffic congestion surrounding comparable stadiums is typically far worse. The Hola BCN Card* entitles you to unlimited usage of public transportation.
Metro Line L5 - Badal Station
Bus lines 113 and M12 - Mini-Estadi - Palau Blaugrana
Bus hop-on-hop-off: Futbol Club Barcelona
Cycling in Barcelona might be challenging due to the lack of well-developed bike lanes. Nonetheless, the stadium is accessible on a bicycle, and there are enough parking spots nearby. Bicycles cannot be parked anywhere!
Conclusion
If you're a football lover visiting Catalan city, you simply cannot miss Camp Nou. It's advisable to inquire in advance about the latest games, opening hours, and VIP tours.
