Barcelona’s long-awaited return to the Nou Camp has been delayed once more after the city council rejected the club’s request for an essential safety permit on Tuesday.
The La Liga champions had hoped to play their upcoming league fixture against Real Sociedad at the partially reopened stadium, with a limited capacity of 27,000. Instead, the match will now take place at the 55,000-capacity Olympic Stadium on Montjuic hill, where the club has played its home matches for the past two seasons during ongoing renovation work.
In a statement, the club thanked members and supporters for their patience and “understanding and support during such a complex and exciting process”. Barcelona confirmed they are currently working on the amendments required by the city council.
The main issues relate to safety, with the city’s fire department raising concerns about evacuation routes and other emergency protocols. The matchday permit was denied on these grounds.
Despite the setback, the club’s director of operations, Joan Sentelles, maintained that the venue is not dangerous. “Just because it’s not finished, doesn’t mean it’s not safe,” he told reporters during a guided tour of the stadium on Tuesday.
Barcelona had recently played two of their home matches, against Valencia and Getafe, at the much smaller Johan Cruyff Stadium, which has a capacity of just 6,000 and is usually home to the club’s women’s team.
Sentelles also confirmed that the installation of the new stadium roof has been pushed back to the summer of 2027, a year later than originally planned.
The renovation project, which began in June 2023, carries an estimated cost of around £1.1 billion. The aim is to modernise the iconic ground and increase its capacity to 105,000, which would make it one of the largest stadiums in the world.
The club had initially planned to return to the Nou Camp in November 2024 to mark its 125th anniversary, but that target has already been missed.
Barcelona’s deputy mayor Laia Bonet stressed that public safety remains the city’s top priority. “The city council must guarantee the safety of everyone who wants to go to the stadium,” she said. “This is the priority.”
