Camp Nou delays hit Barcelona fans: Club to return to Olympic Stadium during 2027–28 season

FC Barcelona will temporarily move to the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Montjuïc during part of the 2027–28 season as work continues on the redevelopment of Camp Nou. The club is now entering the final and more expensive phase of the project, with the total cost nearing €2 billion (about ₹21,793 crore), ESPN reported.

Club treasurer Ferran Olivé confirmed at Barcelona’s general assembly that the team will complete the 2026–27 campaign at a partially reopened Camp Nou before shifting home matches to the Olympic Stadium from around June 2027 until January 2028. The move is needed to allow installation of the stadium’s new roof structure, which requires heavy construction work over the pitch area.

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“Barça would finish this 2026–27 season at the Camp Nou but would then have to play away from the stadium for around half of 2027–28,” Olivé said, adding that the club hopes to return in January 2028. Barcelona has already secured an agreement with the city council to reuse the Montjuïc venue, where it played for two and a half years during the earlier renovation stage.

Costs spiral to €2 billion

To fund the delayed works, members approved an additional €510 million (approximately ₹55,725 crore) financing package, taking the Espai Barça budget to about €1.8 billion (approximately ₹19,666 crore) and pushing the club’s overall debt burden toward €2.3 billion (approximately ₹25,128 crore) depending on repayment schedules. Of the new borrowing, €300 million (approximately ₹32,763 crore) is earmarked for Camp Nou construction and €210 (approximately ₹22,949 crore) million for operational needs.

The total cost of the stadium project has effectively tripled since the overhaul was first pitched in 2014, with repeated delays and design changes driving up expenses.

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Timeline to full completion

Under the revised schedule, Barcelona expects to return to Camp Nou midway through 2027–28 with a capacity of roughly 95,000, before the full 105,000-seat configuration is completed ahead of the 2028–29 season. The venue is set to host the 2029 Champions League final, giving the club a fixed deadline to deliver a finished stadium.