When will FC Barcelona move back into the Camp Nou? How are construction works going?

FC Barcelona haven’t played in the Camp Nou since May 2023, with the iconic stadium turned into a construction site ever since as the club renovate their home. 

The Catalan giants plan to move back into the Camp Nou half way through the 2024/25 season. But how are works going on the iconic stadium and what will it look like once it’s ready? 

Ahead of the new season kickoff, the stadium still looks only half-built, with lots of frameworks and initial structures visible from the surrounding streets. 

The third tier of the stands had to be fully demolished and will be built next year, to be fully ready in two years’ time.

The club say that work is progressing “at a good pace.” An area of 73,500m3 was demolished in the first year of works, with 425,000m3 excavated and 7,850,000kgs of steel put in place, as well as 54,900m3 of concrete. 

More than 1,200 workers are helping build the new Camp Nou during the summer, and they are currently focussing their work on the upper tier's metal structure, the partitions inside the stadium, and first and second tier seating placements. 

The works can be watched live as a nearby resident is live streaming the stadium from his apartment. 

A total of €1.5 billion will be invested in the renovation works, with only €342 million of that spent as of summer 2023 so far.

When will Barcelona’s first game back in the Camp Nou be? 

FC Barcelona plan to move back into the Camp Nou in December 2024 with around 60% capacity, meaning crowds of around 60,000.  

The blaugrana take on Leganés on the weekend of December 15, and Atletico Madrid one week later. Either game could be the date that the Catalans return to their home stadium, with the exact date and kickoff time of the matches to be determined closer to the time. 

If the Camp Nou isn’t ready by then, culés will have to wait another month before their next home game on the weekend of January 26 against Valencia. 

The 60,000 capacity at the new Camp Nou will be higher than what the Olympic Stadium in Montjuic can accommodate, and will no doubt be a more exciting venue for fans than their temporary home. 

The club expects to finish the stadium works completely by August 2026, when it will have a capacity of 105,000 and an underground parking lot with up to 4,000 parking spaces.