Due to problems in acquiring the required first occupation licence from the Barcelona City Council, FC Barcelona has formally postponed its much anticipated return to the renovated Spotify Camp Nou, which was initially planned for August 10.
The club said on Friday afternoon that it is “impossible to complete the necessary procedures” in time owing to ongoing construction compliance issues. The game was supposed to commemorate the reopening of the historic stadium with the traditional Joan Gamper Trophy.
The Joan Gamper Trophy was originally intended to serve as a soft launch for Barcelona before their first La Liga home game of the new season against Valencia in September. Permission was granted for them to travel for their first three league games. It was intended to open the half finished Camp Nou to groups of up to 20,000–30,000 people over the course of the campaign. However, that schedule is now seriously doubtful due to the most recent setback.
The size of the ongoing Camp Nou renovations, which are a component of the massive Espai Barca project and involve significant structural repairs and modernisation, is the cause of the delay. The club acknowledged that not all regulatory standards could be met at this time, despite their initial goal of reopening the stadium gradually.
𝐅𝐂 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 18, 2025
According to the official statement, “the intricacy of the work has prevented full compliance with the ordinance regulating municipal intervention procedures for construction works, even though the Club’s goal was to operate Spotify Camp Nou in sections.”
When is it reopening again?
As soon as a new date for the stadium’s reopening is established, FC Barcelona will notify supporters and club members. FC Barcelona also stated that it is collaborating closely with local officials to address any outstanding difficulties.
More information will be released soon, but in the meantime, the 2025 Joan Gamper Trophy will now be held at Johan Cruyff Stadium. The club further explained that the finance timetable for the Espai Barca project, a crucial component of the club’s long-term infrastructure redesign, will not be impacted by the delay. With renovations keeping it shuttered for more than a year, this development represents yet another twist in the club’s journey back to its true home.
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