Camp Nou

Key facts
Club: FC Barcelona | Opening: 1957 | Capacity: 99,354 seats

History and description

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 Barcelonas previous ground Camp de les Corts, which, though it could hold 60,000 supporters, was still too small for the growing number of fans. 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. The stadium was, together with Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, playing venue of the Euro 1964 Championships. It hosted the semi-final between the Soviet Union and Denmark (3-0), and the match for third place between Hungary and the same Denmark (3-1). The stadium hosted two Cup Winners Cup finals in the following decades, the first in 1972 between Rangers FC and Dynamo Moscow (3-2), and the second in 1980 between Barcelona and Standard de Lige (2-1). Camp Nou got expanded with a third tier for the 1982 World Cup, which raised capacity to 120,000 places. During the World Cup, it hosted the opening match between Belgium and Argentina (1-0), three matches in the second group stage, and the semi-final between Italy and Poland (2-0). In 1989, Camp Nou hosted the European Cup final between AC Milan and FC Steaua (4-0), which was followed in 1999 by the Champions League final between Manchester United and FC Bayern (2-1).

In the early 1990s, Barcelona started converting various standing areas into seating, which reduced capacity, though additional seats were created by lowering the pitch. 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 Bernabu, 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 has 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 recently announced to be studying a move to a new stadium, but later decided to postpone any decision due to the insecure economical situation.

Getting there
Camp Nou is located in the east of Barcelona, at about 5 kilometres from Barcelonas historic city centre. The stadium is part of a sports complex that also includes Barcelonas Mini Estadi. 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 Barcelonas city centre one can take metro line 3. Take the metro in the direction of Zona Universitria 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. If coming from the area around the Sagrada Familia, one can take metro line 5. Take the metro in the direction of Cornell Centre and get off at station Badal or Collblanc. If arriving by car from the Ronda da Dalt (the motorway that runs west of Barcelona), take exit 11 and follow the Avenida Diagonal (B-23) toward the city. Keep right on the Avenida Diagonal (right of the tram tracks) and after almost two kilometres turn right onto the Calle de Sabino Arana (follow the FC Barcelona signs). Follow the bend to the left (dont take the tunnel), and turn right onto the Gran Via de Carlos III. Follow for a few hundred metres and turn right onto the Travesa de las Cortes. After another few hundred metres you will see the stadium on your right. If coming from the A-2 (west), take the B-23 into the city, which will automatically flow into the Avenida Diagonal. Address: Calle Arstides Mallol 12, 08028 Barcelona

Eat, drink, and sleep

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 is centered in the historic centre (Gothic Quarter, El Born, and Raval). There is more nightlife in the nearby beach and port areas. There is a wide selection of hotels, hostels, and rental apartments in the area around Camp Nou. Most are the typical tourist hotels and reasonably affordable. Hotel NH Rallye overlooks the stadium and gets good reviews. Hotel Madanis and Hotel Madanis Liceo come in a similar price category of between 60.00 and 80.00 per night. Hotel Catalonia Rigoletto and Princesa Sofia Gran Hotel are more luxuruous alternatives, whereas Hotel LAlguer is somewhat more basic, and hence cheaper. For all hotels near Camp Nou click here. There are also many hotels near Plaa dEspanya, which is on both metro lines 3 and 5, and of course in Barcelonas historic centre.

Tickets
Tickets for FC Barcelona games can be bought online, by phone +34 93 496 36 00 (902 1899 00 from Spain), at the Servicaixa cash points, or at the ticket windows (taquillas) of Camp Nou. If tickets remain, these can be bought at the ticket windows of the stadium on the day of the match. Barcelona sells out very few matches per season. Ticket for the Real Madrid match can only be bought by club members.

Many Barcelona season ticket holders free their seat 48 hours before the game, so if a match previously appeared to be sold out, it may make sense to check availability again one or two days before the match. Ticket prices depend very much on the opponent as Barcelona has divided their home games into six different pricing categories. Most tickets fall into one of four (A-D) categories, but prices are higher for Real Madrid (A++), Valencia, (A+), and Mlaga (A+). Ticket for category D matches, the cheapest, range from 19.00 for a seat at the most upper tier to 81.00 for a central middle-tier seat at the main stand. Tickets for category A matches range from 57.00 to 153.00, and tickets for A+ and A++ games will be even more expensive.

Stadium tours
Barcelona offers self-guided stadium tours, called the Camp Nou Experience, which include a walk through the stadium with audio guide and access to the Barcelona museum. Private guides are available against additional payment. The Camp Nou Experience typically takes between 90 and 120 minutes. The Barcelona museum opens Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm (until 6:30 pm in the winter months). Tours can be taken until 7:00 pm (or 5:30 pm in winter). On Sundays the museum opens until 2:30 pm, and tours can be taken until 1:30 pm. There are no tours on the day of a home Champions league match. On league match days the tour closes 4 hours before the start of the match. The tour costs 23.00, which includes the museum. No reservations are required for groups of under 20 people, but they can still be made online. For more information call +34 93 496 36 00 (902 1899 00 from Spain) or email museu@fcbarcelona.cat.