Real Madrid halts concerts over noise complaints

Fans have flocked in recent months to see headliners such as Taylor Swift, Luis Miguel and the Colombian star Karol G at Real Madrid Santiago Bernabéu stadium – but not everyone was so happy about the concerts.

Among the shows affected by the cancellations and postponements are three concerts by Spanish pop artists that will be pushed back from November to December, while the South Korean music show Music Bank scheduled for 12 October has been cancelled.

The club said in a statement that “this decision forms part of a group of measures taken by the club to ensure that the municipal regulations are strictly complied with during concerts.”

The stadium began hosting concerts again earlier this year after a major renovation, which included a retractable roof and pitch to allow it to be used as a year-round entertainment venue.

Since then, local residents have complained of noise far exceeding legal levels and going on until midnight. But the volume is only the half of it: the stadium’s neighbours have also been faced with drunken concertgoers urinating in doorways and camping in local parks. 

Such was their frustration, residents banded together to pursue legal action against those responsible, including Madrid city council.

Although this rescheduling is “a small relief”, spokesman for the Association of People Affected by the Bernabéu, José Manuel Paredes, told Spanish media outlets, it is not enough.

“There is no solution to this, it is impossible to hold concerts because the stadium is simply not prepared for that ,” Paredes believes.