Camp Nou

Ground Information

Camp Nou was built between 1954 and 1957, and officially opened on the 24th of September 1957 with a match between FC Barcelona and a selection of players from the city of Warsaw. The stadium replaced Barcelona’s previous ground Camp de les Corts, which, though it could hold 60,000 supporters, was still too small for the growing support of the club. Camp Nou initially consisted of two tiers that could hold 93,000 spectators. It was first called Estadi del FC Barcelona, but got soon referred to as Camp Nou.

Until the late 1990s, Camp Nou still had some standing areas at the top of the third tier, but these were finally eliminated, reducing capacity to just below 100,000.
In contrast to the Bernabéu, Camp Nou has changed relatively little since its inauguration and lacks many of the modern facilities common in most stadiums these days. For the last decade, Barcelona have therefore been investigating either redeveloping Camp Nou, or even building a completely new stadium. In the mid-2000s, the club presented plans for a renovated Camp Nou, designed by Norman Foster, but a lack of funding prevented realisation. The club next started studying a move to a new stadium, but finally decided in 2014 to redevelop the current stadium.

The redevelopment will entail the reconstruction of the first tier resulting in a steeper tier with better views, the extension of the top tier over the whole of the stadium, the construction of a roof to cover all seats, and expansions and improvements to the interior of the stadium aimed at providing better facilities. The resulting capacity will be slightly higher at a little over 105,000 seats. Works are planned to start in 2017 and gradually performed over four seasons to finish in 2021.

Away fans

Visiting supporters who make their way to Nou Camp either for a big European fixture or domestic clash are usually housed in the south-east corner of the ground within the highest tier of seating. If you’re scared of heights it can certainly make for an interesting experience, as these seats are well and truly in the clouds with the views of the pitch somewhat distant!

Away pubs

Within the stadium and around the ground you can find vendors who sell the usual type of match day fast food such as hot dogs and chips. Camp Nou is situated in a rather dense urban area (especially toward the east and south), and one can therefore find the typical local Spanish bars and restaurants in the vicinity of the stadium.

The options pale, however, in comparison with what can be found in the centre, which is a short metro ride away. Most eating and drinking in Barcelona are centered in the historic centre (Gothic Quarter, El Born, and Raval), and there is more nightlife in the nearby beach and port areas.

Car Parks & Public transport

The stadium is easy to reach by metro. Various stations lie close to the stadium and from all of them it takes an approximate 10-minute walk to reach the stadium. From Barcelona’s city centre one can take metro line 3. Take the metro in the direction of Zona Universitària and get off at station Les Corts. The next two stations, Maria Cristina and Palau Reial, are equal alternatives. The journey from the centre takes about 25 minutes.