Barcelona will not be able to play their home matches at the Camp Nou during the 2023-24 season. The Catalan club are renovating their stadium in time for 2026, but will only use a different ground for the 2023-24 campaign.
For that season, Barcelona will play their home games at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, which is also known as the Montjuic Olympic Stadium.
Here is all of the information that you need to know about Barcelona's upcoming stadium move.
Why are Barcelona moving stadiums?
Barcelona are renovating their historic Camp Nou stadium as part of a £1.3 billion renovation project. That will involve increasing the capacity of the stadium from 99,354 seats to 105,000.
There will be significant improvements to the stadium, including a roof being added, while the ground will be renamed the Spotify Camp Nou as part of a lucrative sponsorship deal worth £237 million.
🏟️ Welcome to Spotify Camp Nou!
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 1, 2022
💙❤️ @Spotify pic.twitter.com/YLjOZCilgu
Although Barcelona will continue to play at the ground in 2022-23 with only minimum disruption, they will be unable to play there in 2023-24 while renovation work is taking place.
The project of upgrading the Camp Nou was suggested in 2014 and, following several delays, plans are now in place for the improvements to be made.
What are the details of Spotify's sponsorship deal?
A new dawn at the Camp Nou kicks off from July 1 as Spotify's official partnership with the La Liga giants officially kicks off.
Within the agreement, the Swedish music streaming platform becomes the club's title sponsor, including stadium naming rights and significant branding presence inside the iconic arena.
Additionally, the agreement also includes the Spotify logo appearing on the front of the men's and women's match and training kits from the start of 2022/23 for the next three years.
How long are Barcelona moving stadiums for?
It is anticipated that Barcelona will only spend one season playing away from the Camp Nou, although when they return in the 2024-25 season the ground will be operating at 50 per cent capacity (around 49,000).
For the 2022-23 season Barcelona will be able to use the Camp Nou at almost 100 per cent capacity. In April, Barcelona president Joan Laporta said: "Practically 100% of the capacity is expected. I say practically because the works can affect them minimally at specific times."
Barcelona will not be moving for long as they do not want to pay too much money in terms of rent.
Where will Barcelona play next season?
Reports from The Athletic, on March 31, 2023, confirmed the next phase of Barcelona's Camp Nou redevelopment, with the team temporarily moving out of their famous home next season.
The Barcelona board have now approved the £1.34bn/$1.61bn Espai Barca redevelopment project, which includes major renovations to the stadium, and the surrounding area.
📍Spotify Camp Nou pic.twitter.com/1NXavdTa4T
— FC Barcelona Femení (@FCBfemeni) March 29, 2023
Barcelona will play all home games at the Estadi Lluis Companys/Olympic Stadium next season, formerly home to Catalan rivals Espanyol, after being constructed for the 1992 Olympic Games.
The move sees Barcelona leave the Camp Nou for the first time since the 1950's, and turns worldwide attention to one of the most historic sporting arenas in Spain, in the Montjuic area of Barcelona.
The original stadium was built in 1927 and was inaugurated on May 20, 1929 by King Alfonso XIII, one day after the opening of the International Exhibition.
During the Games of the XXV Olympiad, the Estadi Olimpic was the scene of the opening and closing ceremonies, the athletics track competitions and the finish sections of the marathon and walk events. The current installation is the result of the remodelling of the old stadium designed by Pere Domenech i Roure in 1929 for the Barcelona International Exposition.
This remodelling consisted of maintaining the historic exterior facade and destroying and redoing the interior of the stadium to increase the capacity and comfort of the services and also to adapt to the requirements of high-level competition.
62 years ago today, the Nou Camp officially opened 💙❤️
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 24, 2019
In a stadium that has seen some some truly breathtaking football, these seven minutes might just be the most miraculous it has ever witnessed...
Just incredible 😲🙌 pic.twitter.com/YSmSrUXFe8
In 1955 the stadium was the main facility for the II Mediterranean Games but afterwards largely fell into disuse until the 1992 Olympics, when the stadium was gutted, with new facades being built.
In 2001 it was renamed the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in the homage to the president of the Generalitat who was shot by the Franco regime.
It has previously hosted international matches for Spain and Andorra, as well as Copa del Rey finals.
From 1997 to 2009 it was the home ground for Barcelona's local rivals Espanyol.
Interestingly, it was also the ground where Lionel Messi made his Barcelona debut against Espanyol in 2004.
The stadium will be able to hold around 55,000 fans, although there are no plans for increasing the capacity of the stadium. The new ground is around a 7km drive from the Nou Camp.
Barcelona will have to pay between Є15 million and Є20 million (£12.8 million and £17.1 million) in order to rent the stadium for the entirety of the 2023-24 season.
Barcelona have worked with the City council on a mobility plan to help supporters get to the stadium. These plans are expected to cost around Є7.2 million (£6.1 million). Barcelona will pay 64 per cent of the costs, with the City council covering the over 36 per cent.
The stadium will be used for all of Barcelona's home games during the 2023-24 campaign as well as some training sessions. In addition, the Barcelona women's team may use it for some matches.
Which other teams have moved from their home stadium during a rebuild?
Other clubs that have temporarily moved during a rebuild include Real Madrid, who played at their training ground in Valdebebas between 2020 to 2021 while improvements were being made to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Tottenham played at Wembley between 2017 and 2019 as their new stadium was constructed on the site of their old White Hart Lane ground.
Fulham shared QPR's Loftus Road ground from 2002 to 2004 while Craven Cottage was undergoing reconstruction.
When will the new Camp Nou stadium be ready and what is the capacity?
It is anticipated that the new Camp Nou will be ready for use at full capacity in 2026. It should be finished in the last quarter of 2025, but it will take some time after that before it can be used. The new capacity of the stadium will be 105,000, an increase from 99,354.
