Neighbours in Madrid are concerned that the recently renovated Santiago Bernabeu football stadium will become a ‘event-drome’, with 15 events scheduled for the summer months.
The show of the season, however, will surely be Taylor Swift’s, with the Blank Space hitmaker’s performances slated to span two days later this week, as she makes her next stop on the European leg of her highly lauded ‘Eras Tour.’
With only a few days till the big presentation, Swifties in the Spanish capital are becoming increasingly excited.
However, the Bernabeu neighbourhood in Madrid’s Chamartin district does not share the same enthusiasm.
They argue that recent concerts have been extremely loud, with some claiming that the volume surpasses the allowable decibels.
According to local resident Patricia Barnuevo, 24, concerts are ‘proving to be more destructive than intended.’
‘It means there are more crowds, there is constant noise from the region, and it distracts attention away from the stadium’s roots.
‘It was created to establish a community for Real Madrid fans and football followers, but that traditional part is being gone.’
She said that new concerns are emerging as a result of the increased frequency of performances at the stadium, with daytime soundchecks disrupting class times for pupils at the adjacent schools.
Barnuevo also stated that the local community is unprepared for the enormity of what the Eras Tour represents.
‘People fear, myself included, what will happen, because when a lot of people come together, it can cause a lot of overcrowding.’
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Bernabeu inhabitants have expressed alarm about Taylor Swift’s planned Madrid performances, stating that the stadium has hosted too many unacceptably loud events.
A resident created an X account under the identity @Ruido_Bernabeu, claiming that an Alejandro Sanz event earlier this month had a decibel level of 84.9.
According to the Spanish news outlet La Vanguardia, the nighttime limit for a residential area in Madrid is 50.
Also, many who have attended the few concerts held at the Real Madrid stadium have complained about the terrible acoustics.
However, Tito Ramoneda of the promoter The Project stated that the Bernabeu will not produce poor acoustics.
‘There is a question of equipment configuration, sound idea, the artist and band knowing how they want to sound, and having good equipment…The litmus test will be Taylor Swift. And I’m confident it will sound like a joke.
The stadium has been hosting more concerts after the Real Madrid football club signed a 20-year deal back in 2022 with Legends group and Sixth Street investment fund for the use of the venue as an events and leisure space, for which it will receive €360 million.
Residents are seeking a solution as many stadium performances are expected this summer.
Barnuevo, on the other hand, feels that the alterations made to the Bernabeu during its 2023 restoration have prepared it to deal with music fans.
‘The work has been done for this, and change is part of the process, but hopefully citizens’ concerns will be acknowledged and our opinion considered.’
This comes just days after Swift’s Eras Tour in Lisbon devolved into anarchy on Friday, with enraged fans tearing down a fence after waiting for hours in the scorching heat.
It was stated that 200 fans stormed past security barriers and made their way into the stadium, frightening security personnel.
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The singer’s first show in Portugal did not get off to a great start as eager fans were left waiting outside for 45 minutes to enter the stadium
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200 reportedly fans broke through security gates and forced their way into the stadium, terrifying the security staff
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Before the concert, massive queues of fans could be seen starting to form outside the arena due to the delay as frustrated fans proceeded to yell at staff: ‘Let us in!’
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Fans were left to queue in the heat, waiting to be admitted into the venue.
Massive lines of fans began to gather outside the arena before to the show due to the delay, with disgruntled fans yelling at staff: ‘Let us in!’
Gates were scheduled to open at 4pm for those with ordinary tickets, but it was reported that supporters were not allowed in until 4:45pm.
Rock band Paramore opened the event after 7 p.m., despite the fact that the tickets said the show would start at 6 p.m.
When Taylor eventually hit the stage at 8 p.m., the temperature in the stadium had reached 66 degrees.
Prior to the show, security had a tight rule that no water bottles were allowed in the venue.
However, as supporters were forced to wait in the heat for extended periods of time, they made a last-minute decision to allow water bottles into the open-roofed stadium.
According to USA Today Entertainment, Taylor walked the stage without apologising to fans for the delay or wait, and her staff has yet to react to an email on the late start.
Instead, she complimented her supporters, adding, “This is my first time coming to Portugal, and this is how you welcome us,
Swift returned to her £1.4 billion Eras Tour in style earlier this month, debuting new The Tortured Poets Department clothes onstage in Paris.