A local residents’ group is taking the owners of Real Madrid’s stadium to court over loud noise from concerts.
The group says the concerts at the Santiago Bernabeu are disturbing people who live nearby and are hurting their quality of life. The stadium was redeveloped so it could host big events like concerts, not just football matches.
Several major concerts in 2024, including shows by Taylor Swift, upset residents in the nearby Chamartin area because the noise went above legal limits.
The residents’ group has filed a legal complaint against the company that runs the stadium, and a judge has agreed that the case should go to court. The judge said there is enough evidence to suggest the noise could be considered harmful to the environment.
The group says the noise is a serious risk to people’s health. The complaint also names Real Madrid director Jose Angel Sanchez, who helps run the stadium.
Real Madrid spent about 1.5 billion euros redeveloping the Bernabeu, which reopened in 2023 and was meant to be used all year round for entertainment. But by September 2024, the club started cancelling or postponing concerts because of complaints from neighbours.
The residents argue that the stadium is not properly soundproofed and that its speakers break noise rules. They also claim the club knew about the problem before allowing concerts to go ahead and only stopped when legal action was taken.
Since then, many concerts planned for the Bernabeu have been moved to Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano stadium, which is farther away from residential areas.
