Ordinary justice deals another blow to the new Bernabéu: parking concession denied

Real Madrid suffered a new and hard blow on Monday from ordinary justice that could further complicate the future of the financial project related to the Santiago Bernabéu. The Superior Court of Justice of Madrid (TSJM) denied the concession of the land awarded by the City Council for the construction of the two new parking lots of the stadium.

Judge Carmen Casado ruled a year ago in favor of the Neighborhood Association of those Affected by the Bernabéu regarding the construction of parking lots on the Paseo de la Castellana and Padre Damián street. The council gave the green light to the parking lots, but the TSJM [Superior Court of Justice of Madrid] rules out that it is a work "of public and general interest" in the Spanish capital.

Finally, the initial ruling issued by the Contentious-Administrative Court number 30 of Madrid was upheld by the Superior Court of Justice. Although Real Madrid and the City Council can file an appeal within the next 30 days, the work on the parking lots cannot continue.

What impact does the non-construction of the parking lots have on the new Bernabéu?

The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid.

The 'White House' received the green light from the city council on March 23, 2023 for the construction of the project. However, the residents of Bernabéu filed a complaint against the project, claiming that it "infringes the Urban Planning Regulations of the General Urban Development Plan (PGOU) of Madrid regarding the use of garages and parking lots," as well as regarding the environmental impact.

One of the new parking facilities would connect directly to the Santiago Bernabéu's, with the aim of expanding parking capacity for massive events and concerts. Without a license to host musical artists, Real Madrid will also be unable to count on the new parking facilities.

Another obstacle for the project driven by Florentino Pérez that seeks to turn the Real Madrid stadium into a multipurpose venue, capable of hosting different sports and entertainment events throughout the year.

The Santiago Bernabéu will have no concerts or parking

The neighbors also prevented the Madrid stadium from continuing to host concerts that, in theory, would generate profits in the order of 100 million euros per season for the 'Casa Blanca'. 

In 2024, the club earned around 12.4 million, but due to complaints from residents, the income from these events was not included in the 2024/25 budget.

The remodeling of the Santiago Bernabéu, carried out between 2020 and 2023, had the main objective of turning the stadium into a multi-purpose venue, with an investment exceeding 1.3 billion (almost triple the budgeted amount). Currently, work is still being carried out to soundproof the stadium, seeking to resume the concert schedule in 2026.