Police monitored the decibel level of Taylor Swift’s concert at Real Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium after residents complained about excessive noise since the facility began holding musical events last month.

The readings must be reviewed to determine whether they exceeded authorised levels, city hall spokesman Inmaculada Sanz said in a press conference on Thursday. She stated the authorities had received 25 complaints following Wednesday’s performance.

She stated that city hall was already drafting fines for producers of past concerts that had been found to have breached noise regulations.

 

Real Madrid has declined to respond. Requests for comment were sent to city hall by Madrid’s municipal police. Sanz did not provide the decibel reading during the press briefing.

Lastur Bookin SL, Swift’s promoter for her Madrid shows, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

Her concert, attended by tens of thousands of “Swifties,” was the first by a global megastar at the stadium, which has been modified to meet President Florentino Perez’s vision to diversify the club’s revenue streams beyond football so that Real Madrid can compete financially with English clubs in the lucrative Premier League.

The 900 million-euro ($978 million) renovation featured a roof and a new state-of-the-art retractable pitch that allows the stadium to be used for events, making it “an epicentre of the entertainment world,” Perez said in November.

 

However, the initiative is being met with local opposition due to noise levels, with homeowners threatening to take legal action to prevent future gatherings.

“We have no choice but to take legal action,” said Enrique Martinez de Azagra, head of the Bernabeu Affected People’s Association.

 
During Wednesday’s event, specialists hired by the association recorded their own decibel counts, which can be used as evidence in a prosecution. According to Martinez de Azagra, the specialists recorded readings of 80 decibels, which are significantly higher than the 53 decibels permitted by city officials for a musical venue.

Swift’s concerts on Wednesday and Thursday will boost Real Madrid’s finances as it repays 1.2 billion euros in outstanding loans and complex transactions.

A club insider told Reuters that in 2021, the restoration will increase annual stadium income from 150 million euros to 400 million euros.