Barça on the Brink: Camp Nou Poised to Welcome 62,000 Fans as City Hall Decides

Awaiting municipal approval...

Barcelona moves to raise Camp Nou capacity

Barcelona inches closer to a full return to Spotify Camp Nou, after their first home match since the renewal project began on 22 November against Athletic Bilbao, drawing 45,157 spectators.

With a crucial portion of the works complete, the club is ready to raise capacity to 62,000, but the final decision now rests with the City Hall of Barcelona.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barca has already submitted all technical documents required for Operating License 1C, which would allow the first and second rings to open fully, including areas that were temporarily closed.

This step marks a major visual and fan-driven milestone, as the stadium would regain a full 360-degree bowl, awaiting the final phase of the third ring that would push capacity to a historic 105,000 at the start of next season if work stays on schedule.

Club officials prefer not to set a firm date for a larger return to crowds, given the dependence on municipal approval, but expectations point to a near-term date.

Timeline and matches

According to the fixture list, the January 25 match with Real Oviedo seems closest to hosting 62,000 fans for the first time since the renewal began, especially since league games in early January are away at Espanyol (3 January) and Real Sociedad (18 January), plus a Champions League trip to Prague against Slavia on 21 January, and a King's Cup round of 16 match also away due to competition rules.

If the license is delayed a little, the next option would be the end of the month to host Copenhagen in the Champions League on 28 January, for the first European night at the eagerly awaited Camp Nou with a larger crowd.

Punchline 1: If the stands grow any higher, the press box might need stairs just to stay on top of the action.

Punchline 2: Barça tickets might soon come with a seatbelt—this expansion is seriously packing the seats.