Barça Edges Back to Spotify Camp Nou: A Key Official Step Clears the Path
17 October 2025
Barça Nears Return to Spotify Camp Nou After a Key Administrative Move
All eyes are again on Barcelona as the Catalan club closes in on one of its fans' longest-held dreams: returning to its historic home, Spotify Camp Nou.
More than two years after leaving the stadium for renovations, the awaited green light from Barcelona’s city hall pushes the club toward reopening its legendary fortress.
Radio Catalunya and Mundo Deportivo reported, citing sources inside the city hall, that local authorities officially granted Barça the first occupancy license (Phase 1A) of the Espai Barça project.
The license allows the club to use the first two sections of the south stand and the main box, bringing capacity at this stage to 27,000 spectators.
Mad bureaucracy? Not really. For Barça, this administrative step marks a strategic turning point in the Espai Barça mega project, one of Europe’s biggest sports ventures.
After months of intensive work and lengthy negotiations with local authorities, the club can now push toward the next phase of the return plan.
The early return is not economically viable
Despite the new license, Barça has stated it will not return to Camp Nou right away, even with 27,000 seats available.
The main reason remains financial: operating a partially opened stadium with high running costs would not be profitable, given current attendance projections.
The plan is to wait for Phase 1B licensing, which would raise capacity to 45,000 and ready the side stand. Only then will Barça be ready to host real games on Spotify Camp Nou.
Until then, Montjuïc will remain the temporary home since summer 2023.
While the Montjuïc experiment has been reasonably successful logistically, the club still longs for the return to the distinctive Camp Nou atmosphere.
Faster processes and talks with the city on track
Getting Phase 1A license means that the club has officially completed the first part of works on the south stand and main box, a precondition to starting Phase 1B preparations.
According to the same sources, intensified talks between club officials and the city hall are expected in the coming weeks to speed up permissions for Phase 1B.
Although no official date has been set for the return to Camp Nou, club insiders suggest the team could play its first matches at the renovated ground before the end of the year if progress is smooth.
Fans watch eagerly and the club gears up commercially
Barca had already started selling season tickets for the second half of the current season, including games at Montjuïc and Camp Nou, a move seen as a clear signal that the club is preparing financially and logistically for a gradual return to its home.
Officials are expected to announce a detailed plan for welcoming supporters, including entry and exit procedures, new services, and updated stadium technology, with a firm commitment to safety and comfort.
Espai Barça project
Barça's return to Camp Nou is not just about a temporary fix; it represents a bold future vision for the club.
The Espai Barça project goes beyond a physical renewal, envisaging the surrounding areas as a complete sports and commercial complex, including shops, museums, and modern entertainment facilities, boosting the club's financial resources sustainably.
All this comes as Barca seeks to restore financial stability after years of economic difficulties, turning the Camp Nou return into a symbol of a new era in sport and administration.
In the end, a return to Spotify Camp Nou feels closer than ever. With accelerating works and close cooperation between the club and the city hall, 2025 could mark Barca’s grand homecoming, where memories meet a bright future in a stadium worthy of Barcelona and its history.
Punchline 1: Barça’s timetable is so patient that even a sniper would ask for a longer-range scope to catch the right shot.
Punchline 2: If patience were a transfer, Espai Barça would already be paid in full—now if only the stadium could be finished before the next season starts.
