Barcelona line up Montjuïc return for Camp Nou’s final redevelopment phase

Barcelona have formally requested permission to play their home matches at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys during the first half of the 2027-28 season as work on the Spotify Camp Nou roof enters a critical stage.The proposed move would cover the first half of the LaLiga campaign and could also include the league phase of UEFA club competitions. UEFA rules generally require clubs to use the same home venue throughout that stage.Barcelona plan to begin installing the new roof in June 2027, after the conclusion of the 2026-27 season. The work is expected to take about four and a half months, although inspections and safety approvals could extend the period in which Camp Nou is unavailable.Seeking approval for the entire first half of the season gives the club greater protection against construction delays and reduces the risk of making repeated changes to ticketing, hospitality and matchday operations.The request represents another temporary relocation within the Espai Barça project, which is intended to expand Camp Nou’s capacity to about 105,000 and substantially increase revenue from premium seating, sponsorship and year-round commercial activity.Barcelona played at Montjuïc during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons while the main structural work was carried out at Camp Nou. They returned to their home stadium in November 2025 with a reduced capacity as construction continued.A renewed stay at the Olympic stadium would carry a financial cost. Montjuïc offers fewer seats and less hospitality inventory than the redeveloped Camp Nou, limiting the club’s ability to maximise matchday income during part of the season.Barcelona would also need to reach an agreement with the city authorities over the stadium’s availability and operating terms. The club had previously explored retaining access to Montjuïc until January or February 2028 as a contingency measure.The decision reflects the complexity of keeping Camp Nou operational while completing one of the project’s most technically demanding elements. Roof installation requires large sections of the stadium to remain clear of supporters and matchday activity.Barcelona expect the completed redevelopment to deliver an annual revenue increase of about €350m, making the stadium central to their efforts to improve long-term financial stability and commercial competitiveness.The third tier is due to open progressively as work continues, with the finished venue scheduled to reach its full capacity after the roof and remaining sections are completed.LaLiga approval would allow Barcelona to build the 2027-28 fixture calendar around a single temporary home and provide greater certainty to supporters, sponsors and hospitality clients before sales begin.The club’s return to Montjuïc would be temporary, but it would delay full access to the revenue-generating capacity that underpins the economics of the wider Espai Barça investment.