Real Madrid’s revamp of its historic Santiago Bernabeu stadium has become a problem for the Spanish club, with locals protesting against noise from concerts and the permanent construction works.
The stadium began hosting concerts again earlier this year after it completed a years-long revamp that included an undulating metal roof, new lighting, shops, VIP areas and a retractable pitch.
The goal is to allow the venue, inaugurated in 1947 as a traditional soccer pitch, to be used as a year-round entertainment hub.
Pop megastar Taylor Swift and Grammy-winning Colombian singer Karol G are among the big names who have performed at the refurbished stadium this year, which is owned by Real Madrid, whose president Florentino Perez is one of Spain’s richest men.
The wealthy Chamartin neighbourhood in northern Madrid where the stadium is located used to be quiet, except on match days. Now residents complain of noise during concerts and rehearsals that far exceeds legal limits, and of drunken concertgoers urinating in doorways.
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