Mega-concerts take over stadiums
“Who managed to get Bad Bunny tickets?” asks Lisa, 30, on social media. The answer: more than 600,000 in less than 24 hours. On the first day of pre-sale alone, around a million people tried to get a ticket to see the Puerto Rican reggaeton artist perform in Spain in 2026 with his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour . Two dates at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona and ten at the Atlético de Madrid stadium confirm the phenomenon. Live Nation, the concert promoter, assured that El Conejo Malo—as his fans call him—has broken all records: “This is not a concert, it's history.”
Live music now generates almost as much revenue from ticket sales as football. According to the Yearbook of the Association of Music Promoters and the SGAE (Spanish Association of Sports Associations), in 2024 concerts and festivals generated €725.6 million, a figure very close to the €736 million for football. However, for residents who live near stadiums, a match is not the same as a concert.
Ed Sheeran, AC/DC, Lola Indigo, and Aitana are some of the artists who will perform at the Metropolitano stadium this year, while the Bernabéu—which hosted shows by Taylor Swift and Karol G in 2024—hopes to resolve the noise problems that have generated complaints from residents.
Young people in the vicinity of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid to attend the third of four concerts by singer Karol G.
Marshal / EFE“From an acoustic perspective, the simplest solution is to reduce the volume of concerts, sacrificing the audience experience, or to move them to another venue,” explains Néstor Stazzoni, sound engineer and co-founder of Kira Audiovisual, responsible for tours for artists such as Ricardo Montaner and Tini Stoessel. “Pop music needs to sound loud, but above all, what you get at a concert is a lot of screaming.” At a concert, audiences are exposed to levels close to 100 decibels, well above the 55-decibel limit set by the Madrid Ordinance for the Protection against Noise and Thermal Pollution.
“More than the sound itself, what residents also notice is the impact surrounding the event: trucks, trailers, generators, setup, teardown, and thousands of people arriving early,” explains Tito Ramoneda, president of the promoter The Project. “At a concert like Bad Bunny's, some people line up two days beforehand, while at a soccer game, the stadium is often empty up to 20 minutes beforehand. A concert is a different story.”
Taylor Swift performs at a concert at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid.
Dani DuchRecently, Cornellà de Llobregat found itself at the center of controversy over the cancellation of Lola Índigo's concert. According to the city council, the event never received the necessary permits. The Madrid-born artist was scheduled to perform on July 12 at the RCDE Stadium, but ended up doing so two days earlier at Montjuïc.
In Cornellà, the city council is limiting these types of events to safeguard the rest of residents who already face Espanyol's home football matches every two weeks. In a statement, the city council emphasizes that it has an agreement with RCD Espanyol that establishes that "once the sporting competitions are over, only one sporting event per month can be scheduled at the stadium." This translates to a couple of concerts per year, as the La Liga season starts in August and ends in May. A Robbie Williams concert was already planned and authorized for next July.
Homes in the Riera neighborhood of Cornellà, with the RCDE Stadium in the background
Llibert TeixidóEspanyol's stadium borders the A-2 motorway and the river, the Splau shopping center, and the UE Cornellà stadium. But it also borders the town's Riera neighborhood, home to some 4,000 residents. "We simply want peace and quiet," says Conchi Zatón, president of the neighborhood association. "One or two concerts a year is acceptable, not every weekend. That's what was agreed upon," she asserts.
Read alsoThe activity limit is maintained to ensure compliance with the neighborhood association and preserve the neighborhood's quality of life. "It's a sign of institutional commitment to the public," says the City Council, which, somewhat weary of the controversy of recent weeks, prefers not to accept interviews. "I don't believe that the citizens of the neighborhood surrounding the RCD Espanyol stadium have fewer rights than those who live around the Bernabéu," said Mayor Antonio Balmón a few days ago.
In Barcelona, "the Olympic Stadium's privileged location on Montjuïc Mountain, away from major population centers, means that noise disturbances for residents are minimal," explains Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (BSM). "This year, major stadium tours have left us with a panorama featuring seven concerts, three of them unique in the region—Guns N' Roses, Blackpink, and Post Malone—a sold-out performance by Imagine Dragons, Kendrick Lamar, and, nationally, Lola Índigo and Aitana." Although FC Barcelona's temporary relocation limited the available dates, collaboration with promoters and the club made it possible to organize events during the peak concert season, from May to September.
“For days there is the impact of trucks, trailers, assembly, fans queuing...,” Ramoneda analyzes.In recent years, stadium concerts have transformed into experiences where lights, giant screens, and monumental sets envelop the audience in a sensorial narrative. “Some people attend because they feel the need to be there, without the music being the main motivation,” explains Ramoneda, who led the recent tour of Estopa, the first Spanish group to sell out the Olímpic stadium. “People, increasingly, want an experience that transcends the songs themselves.”
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The last time Bad Bunny performed in Spain was on July 20, 2019, as part of the Sónar festival. “I think it's somewhat understandable that after that, Covid-19 came and a thousand things happened,” the Puerto Rican commented in a chat with Ibai Llanos, to whom he also expressed his excitement at returning to perform in the country. Bad Bunny isn't the only one returning to Spain. A veritable flood of international stars will arrive soon, especially in Barcelona, where artists such as Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez, and Robbie Williams will perform this summer. Another big surprise was the unexpected announcement of Lady Gaga's The Mayhem Ball tour, which includes three dates in October at the Palau Sant Jordi. The artist sold out all tickets in less than four hours. Additionally, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX and Chappell Roan headline this summer's Primavera Sound lineup, while Thirty Seconds to Mars and Alanis Morissette will perform at Cruïlla.
Beyond the ballNowadays, stadiums are conceived from their initial design not only as temples of football, but also as multifunctional infrastructures capable of hosting a wide variety of events. To the west of the Benicalap neighborhood in Valencia, the construction of the Nou Mestalla is moving forward steadily, a project that goes beyond being the new stadium of Valencia CF. Conceived from the outset as a comprehensive space for leisure, sports, and active entertainment 365 days a year, the venue aspires to become a new urban icon that impacts both the daily life of the city and the positioning of the club and Valencia nationally and internationally. The architectural project has been entrusted to the international firm Fenwick Iribarren Architects, renowned for its participation in three of the stadiums for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup. Meanwhile, the firm Schlaich Bergermann & Partner, responsible for roofs such as those of the Metropolitano, Maracanã, and the National Stadium in Warsaw, has been commissioned to design the roof of the new venue.
Aerial view of the Nou Mestalla in Valencia
Valencia CFWith its opening scheduled for 2027, the Nou Mestalla will place Valencia among the cities with the largest capacity stadiums in Spain, moving from eighth place to surpass iconic venues such as the San Mamés in Bilbao and the Estadi Olímpic in Barcelona.
In Seville, the Copa del Rey final held on April 26th served as a presentation card for the revamped image of La Cartuja Stadium, which has expanded its capacity to 72,000. This facelift not only reinforces its role as a venue for major sporting events but also positions it as another attractive venue in the country for hosting concerts and mass events. In its new phase, La Cartuja is preparing to welcome artists such as Manuel Carrasco, Lola Índigo, Duki, and Mónica Naranjo this year.
For its part, the new Spotify Camp Nou is scheduled to open in September 2026, with an expanded capacity of 105,000 spectators and a new roof that will protect the entire stands. Throughout its history, Camp Nou has been the scene of memorable concerts, such as the one organized by Amnesty International on September 10, 1988, which brought together 80,000 people in defense of human rights, with performances by Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman, Youssou N'Dour, and El Último de la Fila. It has also hosted major international music figures, such as U2, who chose it in 2009 to kick off their world tour, and artists such as The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, and Beyoncé, with her Formation World Tour in 2016. However, musical events are not a priority for the club. "They're a source of income, but there are others," emphasizes Elena Fort, institutional vice president of FC Barcelona. Although Barça hasn't ruled out hosting concerts in the renovated stadium, it will do so on an ad hoc basis and outside of the sporting calendar.
The largest stadiums in Spain
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