Sawt Falasteen - Real Madrid stadium owners to face trial over concert noise

The association is aiming to "defend" its "quality of life" from the negative impacts of the Santiago Bernabeu's redevelopment and its subsequent use as a venue for concerts and other events, instead of just for hosting Real Madrid's football matches.

High-profile concerts, including by American megastar Taylor Swift, held in 2024, upset local residents in the wealthy Chamartin neighbourhood in the north of the Spanish capital because they surpassed legal noise pollution levels.

The neighbourhood association filed a legal complaint against the Real Madrid Estadio company and a judge has decided that the case will proceed to court.

"There are indications of the occurrence of acts allegedly constituting a crime against the environment, in the form of noise pollution," said the judge in a court document issued on January 15, and seen by AFP.

The neighbourhood association bringing the case says that the noise violations pose a grave danger to the health of residents.

The complaint also targets Real Madrid director Jose Angel Sanchez, who is the right-hand-man of club president Florentino Perez, as he is the administrator of Real Madrid Estadio.

Real Madrid revamped the Santiago Bernabeu, which reopened in 2023, at an estimated cost of 1.5 billion euros ($1.75 billion), with the goal of making the stadium a year-round entertainment hub.

However, in September 2024 they began postponing or cancelling shows after complaints from local residents.

The neighbourhood association argues that the stadium is not properly sound-proofed and its powerful loudspeakers do not comply with noise regulations.

The association says that the club knew that the sound-proofing was insufficient when it made its venue available to external promoters for the events, and only stopped once legal pressure was applied.

Since September 2024, numerous concerts initially planned for the Santiago Bernabeu have instead been held at the Metropolitano stadium, home to Real's local rivals Atletico Madrid, which is on the outskirts of the city and not close to residential areas.

P.Tamimi--SF-PST