Barcelona have officially announced that they will return to the Camp Nou this Saturday for their La Liga showdown with Athletic Club. The confirmation comes after the City Council granted a license allowing 45,401 fans to attend matches at the partially renovated stadium.
Limited But Significant Return
The approval follows Barcelona’s first public event at the rebuilt venue earlier this month, when around 23,000 supporters watched an open training session. Proceeds from that session were donated to charitable initiatives via the Barça Foundation.
We’ve dreamed about the return. Now, it's here.
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 17, 2025
We’re back home. Back at Spotify Camp Nou 🏟️💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/sMTEuPbUvX
Since June 2023, Barcelona have been playing their home fixtures at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys (Montjuic), a 55,926-capacity ground located roughly 4km from Camp Nou. The temporary home holds around 40,000 fewer spectators than Barcelona’s traditional stadium and has posed logistical challenges for fans and the club alike.
The New Camp Nou: Bigger and More Modern
When fully completed, the renovated Camp Nou will accommodate 105,000 spectators — an increase from its previous 99,354 capacity. The expanded and modernized stadium forms the centrepiece of the club’s massive Espai Barça project.
The Journey Back: Delays and Adjustments
Barcelona originally targeted November 2024 as the date for their return with limited capacity. However, in October 2024, the club revised its expectation, saying they would come back “in the second half” of the 2024–25 season.
In January 2025, Barça vice-president Elena Fort reiterated on RAC1 that “We will return before the end of this season.” Until Monday’s approval, the club remained hopeful of hosting all remaining home fixtures at Camp Nou, starting with an expected limit of 27,000 spectators set earlier this month.
The latest decision raises that limit to 45,401, paving the way for official competitive matches to resume at the stadium after 894 days away.
Barcelona and Turkish construction company Limak have agreed on June 2026 as the completion date for the full renovation. The project’s current cost stands at approximately €900 million ($1 billion).
