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 in the middle of the current 2024/25 season.

But how are works going on the Camp Nou stadium and what will it look like once it’s ready? 

In November 2024, the club have confirmed they will not return to their iconic home until February 2025. 

Barça have sent a letter to their supporters that they will not be able to attend matches in the Camp Nou until at least the second week of February. 

The balugrana take on Deportivo Alavés on the weekend of February 2, and at the moment it looks certain that that game will be played in Montjuïc.

If Barcelona finish between 9th and 24th in the Champions League table, they will enter a two-legged playoff with another team, with the ties to be played between February 11/12 and February 18/19. It's expected that if Barça play this round, the game will be played in Montjuïc as well, but if they finish in the top eight of the European table, they will skip this tie and automatically qualify for the next round. 

Therefore, the Catalan team's first game back in the new Camp Nou could be the tie against Rayo Vallecano on the weekend of February 15/16. 

City councillor for sports, David Escudé, also confirmed on radio station RAC1 that the club will return to the Camp Nou some months later than Barça had hoped.

In October, FC Barcelona gave a press conference announcing their intentions to return before the end of the calendar year. However, nothing was confirmed that day, and indeed the club left the door open to the possibility of the return being pushed back after the new year. 

However, the councilor also pointed out that "it is smart for the club to give various dates because there can be unforeseen circumstances, but the information we have is for February."

David Escudé also explained that they had a meeting with Barça on Monday to discuss the works and the improvement of access and mobility at Camp Nou.

Half-built stadium in summer

Ahead of the new season kickoff, the stadium still looked 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 this winter with around 60% capacity, meaning crowds of around 60,000.  

It's expected that the stadium won't be ready until at least February 2025. 

Barcelona take on Rayo Vallecano on the weekend of February 16, Real Sociedad on March 2, Osasuna on March 9, Girona on March 30, and Real Betis on April 6. 

The Champions League Round of 16 ties will be played on March 4/5 & 11/12, while the quarter-finals will be held on April 8/9 & 15/16.

Any of these games could be FC Barcelona's first home game back in the Camp Nou stadium. 

With all La Liga games, the exact date and time of the game is only scheduled usually two to three weeks before the game, so nothing is confirmed yet.  

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.