Barcelona will finally return to their eternal home, Spotify Camp Nou, this weekend, with the club confirming that Saturday’s LaLiga match against Athletic Club will be played at their historic home ground.
In a statement, the Catalan Club said that the match for LaLiga matchday 13 against Athletic Club, scheduled for Saturday, November 22 at 16:15, will indeed be held at Spotify Camp Nou.
The decision follows the club’s receipt of the first occupancy license corresponding to Phase 1B, which permits an increased capacity of up to 45,401 spectators.
Although renovation work is still underway, Barça received a key license from the local council on Monday, allowing matches to be hosted with a limited capacity of 45,401 spectators.
Camp Nou has been closed for major refurbishment since 2023, forcing Barcelona to play their home fixtures at the city’s Olympic Stadium. The original plan was to return by the end of 2024, but multiple delays pushed the timeline back. With the new approval, the Spanish champions will once again play in front of a sizeable home crowd.
The club initially received permission in October to reopen the venue, but the capacity limit at the time, within 25,991, was deemed financially unviable for an immediate return. Earlier this month, Barcelona held a test event at Camp Nou with just under 23,000 fans attending an open training session, which president Joan Laporta described as a success.
Following the test event, Barça submitted documentation last week to extend the capacity limit and received clearance on Monday.
Saturday’s match against Athletic will also kick-start a busy run of fixtures for the Catalan side. Barcelona are scheduled to travel to Chelsea in the Champions League next, before hosting consecutive home games against Alavés and Atlético Madrid—now cleared to be played at Camp Nou.
However, uncertainty remains over whether the Champions League tie against Frankfurt on December 9 will be held at Camp Nou or return to the Olympic Stadium. UEFA has different regulations from La Liga regarding mid-season venue changes, though Laporta has expressed optimism, saying the club has plans in place to meet all requirements, including covered seating for officials.
At present, the stadium’s lower two tiers are complete, while construction continues on the third tier and the new roof structure. Full renovation is expected to be completed by 2027, when the stadium’s capacity will expand to 105,000.