Camp Nou

Camp Nou was constructed between 1954 and 1957, and was formally inaugurated on the 24th of September 1957 with a match between FC Barcelona and a selection of players from the city of Warsaw.

The ground replaced Barcelona's previous ground Camp de les Corts, which, though it could hold 60,000 supporters, was still too small for the growing support of the club.

Camp Nou initially consisted of two tiers that could hold 93,000 spectators. It was first called Estadi del FC Barcelona, but got soon referred to as Camp Nou.

The ground was, together with Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, playing venue of the Euro 1964 Championships. It was the venue for the semi-final between the Soviet Union and Denmark (3-0), and the match for third place between Hungary and the same Denmark (3-1).

The ground staged two Cup Winners' cup finals in the over the over the over the over the following decades, the first in 1972 between Glasgow Rangers and Dynamo Moscow (3-2), and the second in 1982 between Barcelona and Standard de Liège (2-1).

Camp Nou got expanded with a third tier for the 1982 World Cup, which raised capacity to 120,000 places. Throughout the World Cup, it was the venue for the opening fixture between Belgium and Argentina (1-0), three matches in the second group stage, and the semi-final between Italy and Poland (2-0).

In 1989, Camp Nou was the venue for the European cup final between AC Milan and FC Steaua (4-0), which was followed in 1999 by the Champions League final between Manchester United and FC Bayern (2-1).

In the early 1990s, Barcelona started converting various standing areas into seating, which reduced capacity, though additional seats were created by lowering the pitch.

Until the late 1990s, Camp Nou still had some standing areas at the top of the third tier, but these were ultimately eliminated, reducing capacity to just below 100,000.

Unlike the Bernabéu, Camp Nou has changed relatively little since its inauguration and lacks many of the contemporary facilities common in most stadiums these days. For the last decade, Barcelona have as a result been investigating either redeveloping Camp Nou, or even building a completely new arena.

In the mid 2000s, the club presented plans for a renovated Camp Nou, designed by Norman Foster, but a lack of funding prevented realisation. The club next started studying a move to a new arena, but ultimately decided in 2014 to redevelop the current stadium.

The major renovation will entail the reBuilding work on the first tier resulting in a steeper tier with better views, the extension of the top tier over the whole of the ground, the Building work on a roof to cover all seats, and expansions and improvements to the interior of the ground aimed at providing better facilities. The resulting capacity will be slightly higher at a little over 105,000 seats. Works are planned to start in 2017 and gradually performed over four seasons to finish in 2021.

(images of the current Camp Nou below)

Camp Nou is situated in a rather dense urban area (especially toward the east and south), and visitors will find the local Spanish bars and restaurants in the vicinity of the ground.

The options pale, although, in comparison with what can be found in the centre, which is a short metro ride away. Most dining and drinks in Barcelona is centered in the historic centre (Gothic Quarter, El Born, and Raval), and there is more nightlife in the nearby beach and port areas.

Visitors will find a broad range of hotels, hostels, and rental apartments in the area around Camp Nou. Most are the typical tourist hotels and fairly priced.

Hotel NH Rallye overlooks the ground and gets good reviews. Hotel Madanis and Hotel Madanis Liceo come in a similar price category of between €60.00 and €80.00 a night. Hotel Catalonia Rigoletto and Princesa Sofia Gran Hotel are more upscale options, whereas Hotel L'Alguer is more budget-oriented, and hence cheaper.

Use the linked guides for an overview of hotels near Camp Nou. There are also many hotels near Plaça d'Espanya, which is on both metro lines 3 and 5, and of course in Barcelona's historic centre.

Admission for Barcelona games are sold online, through the official website or Ticketmaster, at the ticket windows (taquillas) of Camp Nou, or through any of the other sales outlets, which cover the local tourist offices and club stores. There are club stores on the Carrer de Provença 439 close to the Sagrada Familia, on Plaça de Catalunya, and Maremagnum shopping centre in Barcelona's downtown area.

If tickets remain, these are available at the ticket windows of the ground on the day of the match (near gate 9). Barcelona sell out very few games per season, usually only El Clasico and high-profile Champions League matches.

Admission for El Clasico can only be bought by club members, and to get these you as a result need to search on the secondary market or use one of the many licensed agencies. The likes of viagogo and Ticketbis offer lots of choice and tend to be reliable, though needless to say that prices are high. Their prices for regular matches tend to be more competitive though, and can even be cheaper than face value so offer an alternative for the official route.

Ticket prices depend on the opponent as Barcelona have divided their home games into multiple different pricing categories. For a typical match, expect to pay between €50.00 and €70.00 for a top tier seat behind the goal, between €60.00 and €110.00 for a lower tier seat behind the goal or upper tier seat on the long sides, and between €110.00 and €200.00 for the better seats on the sides.

Prices will be even higher for some games, including, El Clasico and later stage Champions League games, and can be lower for a few low-profile games and Copa del Rey games.

Barcelona offer self-guided venue tours, called the Camp Nou Experience, which include a walk through the ground with audio guide and access to the Barcelona museum. Private guides are available against additional payment. The Camp Nou Experience usually takes between 90 and 120 minutes.

The tour opens Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm (half an hour to an hour longer in the summer months) and on Sundays until 2:30 pm (all day in the summer months).

There are no tours on the day of a match and there is limited access the day before a Champions League match. The tour price is €24.50, which covers the museum.

Advance booking is not required for groups of under 20 people, but they can still be made online. Additional information call +34 93 496 36 00 (902 1899 00 from Spain) or email museu@fcbarcelona.cat.