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News18
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
As Legal Issues Halt Bernabeu Concerts, Real Madrid's Cross-Town Rivals Benefit
Last Updated: Legal issues halt Real Madrid's Bernabeu renovation, stopping concerts and benefiting Atletico Madrid. Metropolitano stadium secures major performances, affecting Real's revenue. Real Madrid, entangled in legal challenges, are losing out on the high-profile concerts for which their expensive Bernabeu stadium renovation was intended, while their rivals, Atletico Madrid, are reaping the benefits. The ambitious project, which involved three loans totalling over one billion euros ($1.174 billion), aimed to transform the historic stadium into a year-round entertainment venue. However, the Spanish giants did not anticipate the resolve of disgruntled locals, whose complaints about excessive noise succeeded in halting the concerts planned for 2024. As these complaints are stuck in legal proceedings, Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano stadium secured the performances of three Spanish stars who were supposed to play at the Bernabeu this summer. An even bigger success followed: the announcement of 10 concerts next year by reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny, a multiple Grammy Awards winner who sold a record 600,000 tickets for 12 dates in Madrid and Barcelona. The arrival of the Puerto Rican artist seems to contradict the belief of Madrid's Atletico-supporting mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida, who asserted that only the Bernabeu could attract the most prestigious performers like US icon Taylor Swift. 'It is a way of showing that not everything Real Madrid do is done well, and more so if the concerts go to the Metropolitano," he told AFP. Lola Indigo, one of the singers whose cancelled Bernabeu show was moved to the Metropolitano, told El Mundo daily she felt 'disappointment, a little betrayed". Club president Florentino Perez has assured supporters that concerts account for only one percent of Real's budget, with revenues expected to exceed 1.1 billion euros in the 2024/25 season. David Dunn, managing director of the Edinburgh-based consultancy 442 Design, which has collaborated on commercial projects with clubs like Arsenal and AC Milan, described the situation as 'a major blow" for Real Madrid. Although the revenue from matchday, tours, and retail is 'excellent", the club 'will have banked on being able to hold multiple large-scale events and concerts", he told AFP. Business Insider Spain reported that Real's plan was to generate around 100 million euros annually from musical events – enough to sign a couple of star players. Professor Rodriguez Guerrero stated that Real Madrid are losing 'tens of millions of euros" this summer to their less celebrated local rivals, who have previously hosted stars like Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, and Bruno Mars. To pursue their concert ambitions, Real Madrid's investment 'will cost quite a lot," he said. For Francesc Daumal, an architecture expert at Barcelona's Polytechnic University of Catalonia, the main issue with the Bernabeu is its new retractable roof and the acoustic challenges it presents. The stadium 'is like a tent, because it's shut with a light closure. There are openings, exterior sheets that let air in," he explained. 'Solving the insulation for those deep frequencies and with those very high acoustic pressures isn't simple," warned Daumal. Atletico's stadium 'was born from the start with the intention of soundproofing it," whereas adapting the older Bernabeu is more complicated, he added. Daumal also noted the Bernabeu's proximity to residential buildings as a difficulty in containing noise, compared to the esplanade that separates the Metropolitano from its nearest neighbours. Meanwhile, Atletico are capitalising on a packed summer concert schedule with the Bernabeu out of commission. Fans flocked to the Metropolitano in May for two sold-out nights by British star Ed Sheeran, with 140,000 tickets sold at an average price of 100 euros ($115). Sara, who attended last year's Taylor Swift concert at the Bernabeu, told AFP the Metropolitano was 'better as a place… it's a club with more ties to music." 'Acoustically, the Bernabeu is the worst place we've seen," added the 34-year-old communications sector employee, who declined to give her surname. Ariel Jackson, a 30-year-old lawyer from Trinidad and Tobago, said the Metropolitano had 'extra space" and was 'more comfortable" than the Bernabeu due to its distance from the crowded city centre. top videos View all 'We love to say concerts are held" at the Metropolitano amid the Bernabeu's troubles, enthused Atletico fan David Guerrero, 27, sporting a club shirt with Sheeran's name on the back. With AFP Inputs view comments Location : Madrid, Spain First Published: July 24, 2025, 10:30 IST News sports As Legal Issues Halt Bernabeu Concerts, Real Madrid's Cross-Town Rivals Benefit Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Int'l Business Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Int'l Business Times
Atletico Cash In On Real Madrid's Bernabeu Concert Woes
Mired in legal setbacks, Real Madrid are losing the lucrative star-studded concerts for which their costly Bernabeu stadium revamp was designed -- and cross-town rivals Atletico are cashing in. The megaproject involved three loans totalling more than one billion euros ($1.174 billion) with the goal of transforming the historic ground into a year-round entertainment hub. But the Spanish giants had not reckoned with the determination of angry locals, whose complaints about excessive noise succeeded in stopping the concerts in 2024. With the complaints bogged down in the courts, Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano stadium snapped up the shows of three Spanish stars who were due to perform at the Bernabeu this summer. A bigger coup followed: the announcement of the hosting of 10 gigs next year by reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny, a multiple Grammy Awards winner who sold a Spanish record 600,000 tickets for 12 dates in Madrid and Barcelona. The Puerto Rican's arrival appears to contradict the belief of Madrid's Atletico-supporting mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida, who insisted only the Bernabeu could attract the most prestigious performers like US icon Taylor Swift. For Placido Rodriguez Guerrero, emeritus professor at the University of Oviedo's economics department, "the reputational damage has been big" for Real. "It is a way of showing that not everything Real Madrid do is done well, and more so if the concerts go to the Metropolitano", he told AFP. Lola Indigo, one of the singers whose cancelled Bernabeu show went to the Metropolitano, told El Mundo daily she felt "disappointment, a little betrayed". Club president Florentino Perez has reassured supporters that concerts only represent one percent of Real's budget, with revenues topping 1.1 billion euros in the 2024/25 season. But David Dunn, managing director of the Edinburgh-based consultancy 442 Design, which has worked on commercial projects with clubs including Arsenal and AC Milan, described the situation as "a major blow" for Real. Although the matchday, tour and retail business revenue is "excellent", the club "will have banked on being able to hold multiple large-scale events and concerts", he told AFP. Business Insider Spain has reported Real's plan was to generate around 100 million euros per year from musical events -- enough to sign a couple of stars. Professor Rodriguez Guerrero said Real were losing "tens of millions of euros" this summer to their less storied local rivals, who have previously hosted stars including Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and Bruno Mars. If Real wish to pursue their concert ambitions, the investment "will cost quite a lot", he said. For Francesc Daumal, an architecture expert at Barcelona's Polytechnic University of Catalonia, the Bernabeu's main weakness is its new retractable roof and the acoustic issues it engenders. The stadium "is like a tent, because it's shut with a light closure. There are openings, exterior sheets that let air in", he explained. "Solving the insulation for those deep frequencies and with those very high acoustic pressures isn't simple," warned Daumal. Atletico's stadium "was born from the start with the intention of soundproofing it", whereas adapting the older Bernabeu is more difficult, he added. Daumal also identified the Bernabeu's proximity to residential buildings as a challenge to contain noise, compared with the esplanade that separates the Metropolitano from its closest neighbours. Atletico are meanwhile cashing in on a packed summer concert schedule with the Bernabeu out of action. Fans flocked to the Metropolitano in May for two sold-out nights by British star Ed Sheeran, with 140,000 tickets going at an average price of 100 euros ($115). Sara, who attended last year's Taylor Swift concert at the Bernabeu, told AFP the Metropolitano was "better as a place... it's a club with more ties to music". "Acoustically, the Bernabeu is the worst place we've seen," added the 34-year-old communications sector employee, who declined to give her surname. Ariel Jackson, a 30-year-old lawyer from the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, said the Metropolitano had "extra space" and was "more comfortable" than the Bernabeu thanks to its distance from the crowded city centre. "We love to say concerts are held" at the Metropolitano amid the Bernabeu's troubles, enthused Atletico fan David Guerrero, 27, sporting a club shirt with Sheeran's name on the back. The Santiago Bernabeu's operable roof has led to acoustic issues at the stadium during concerts AFP
eNCA
02-06-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Homeless seek refuge at Madrid airport as rents soar
MADRID - Around 421 people were sleeping rough at Madrid's airport in March, a survey by a Catholic charity group counted. Most were men, half had been sleeping at the airport for over six months and 38 percent said they had a job. Nearly all of them would leave the airport during the day. The issue has exposed deep divisions among the institutions tasked with addressing homelessness. City and regional governments in Madrid have clashed with Aena, which operates under the control of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialist administration. "Primary social care is the responsibility of the local government," Aena said in a statement, adding the city must fulfil its "legal duty to care for vulnerable populations". Madrid's conservative Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida fired back, arguing that the central government controls Aena and "what's happening depends on several ministries". The city insists that most of those sleeping in the airport are foreigners who should fall under Spain's international protection system. Despite the finger-pointing, both sides have agreed to hire a consultancy to count and profile those sleeping at the airport. The study results are expected by the end of June. Those who call Barajas home say the increased scrutiny in Europe's fifth busiest airport is unwelcome.
Business Recorder
28-04-2025
- Climate
- Business Recorder
Massive blackout hits Spain and Portugal
MADRID/LISBON: A huge power outage hit large parts of Spain and Portugal on Monday, paralysing traffic, grounding flights, trapping people in elevators and leaving power operators scrambling to restore power to millions of homes and businesses. Some hospitals halted routine work and the two countries' governments convened emergency cabinet meetings, with officials initially saying a possible cyber attack could not be ruled out. Outages on such a scale are extremely rare in Europe, and the cause could not immediately be established. Reuters witnesses said power had started returning to the Basque country and Barcelona areas of Spain in the early afternoon, a few hours after the outage began. It was not clear when power might be more widely restored. Hospitals in Madrid and Cataluna in Spain suspended all routine medical work but were still attending to critical patients, using backup generators. Several Spanish oil refineries were shut down and retail businesses shut. The Bank of Spain said electronic banking was functioning 'adequately' on backup systems, though residents also reported ATM screens had gone blank. 'I'm in a data centre, and everything has gone off. All the alarms popped up, and now we're with the groups, waiting to find out what happened,' said Barcelona resident and engineer Jose Maria Espejo, 40. In a video posted on X, Madrid Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida urged city residents to minimise their journeys and stay where they were, adding: 'It is essential that the emergency services can circulate.' In Portugal, water supplier EPAL said water supplies could also be disrupted, and queues formed at stores by people rushing to purchase emergency supplies like gaslights, generators and batteries. The main Portuguese electricity utility, EDP, said it had told customers it had no forecast for when the energy supply would be 'normalised', Publico newspaper said.
Express Tribune
28-04-2025
- Climate
- Express Tribune
Millions affected as blackout paralyses traffic and flights in Spain and Portugal
A cook at a take out restaurant works in a dark kitchen with the aid of phone flashlights, during a power outage in Madrid. PHOTO: REUTERS A huge power outage hit large parts of Spain and Portugal on Monday, paralysing traffic, grounding flights, trapping people in elevators and leaving power operators scrambling to restore power to millions of homes and businesses. Some hospitals halted routine work and the two countries' governments convened emergency cabinet meetings, with officials initially saying a possible cyber attack could not be ruled out. Outages on such a scale are extremely rare in Europe, and the cause could not immediately be established. Reuters witnesses said power had started returning to the Basque country and Barcelona areas of Spain in the early afternoon, a few hours after the outage began. It was not clear when power might be more widely restored. Hospitals in Madrid and Cataluna in Spain suspended all routine medical work but were still attending to critical patients, using backup generators. Several Spanish oil refineries were shut down and retail businesses shut. The Bank of Spain said electronic banking was functioning 'adequately' on backup systems, though residents also reported ATM screens had gone blank. "I'm in a data centre, and everything has gone off. All the alarms popped up, and now we're with the groups, waiting to find out what happened," said Barcelona resident and engineer Jose Maria Espejo, 40. In a video posted on X, Madrid Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida urged city residents to minimise their journeys and stay where they were, adding: "It is essential that the emergency services can circulate." In Portugal, water supplier EPAL said water supplies could also be disrupted, and queues formed at stores by people rushing to purchase emergency supplies like gaslights, generators and batteries. The main Portuguese electricity utility, EDP, said it had told customers it had no forecast for when the energy supply would be "normalised", Publico newspaper said. It warned it could take several hours. Parts of France also suffered a brief outage. RTE, the French grid operator, said it had moved to supplement power to some parts of northern Spain after the outage hit. Play at the Madrid Open tennis tournament was suspended, forcing 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov and British opponent Jacob Fearnley off the court as scoreboards went dark and overhead cameras lost power. Traffic jams Spanish radio stations said part of the Madrid underground was being evacuated. There were traffic jams in Madrid city centre as traffic lights stopped working, Cader Ser Radio station reported. Hundreds of people stood outside office buildings on Madrid's streets and there was a heavy police presence around key buildings, directing traffic as well as driving along central atriums with lights, according to a Reuters witness. One of four tower buildings in Madrid that houses the British Embassy had been evacuated, the witness added. Local radio reported people trapped in stalled metro cars and elevators. Portuguese police said traffic lights were affected across the country, the metro was closed in Lisbon and Porto, and trains were not running. Lisbon's subway transport operator Metropolitano de Lisboa said the subway was at a standstill with people still inside the trains, according to Publico newspaper. A source at Portugal's TAP Air said Lisbon airport was running on back-up generators, while AENA, which manages 46 airports in Spain, reported flight delays around the country. Such widespread outages are unusual in Europe. In 2003 a problem with a hydroelectric power line between Italy and Switzerland caused a major outage across the whole Italian peninsula for around 12 hours. In 2006 an overloaded power network in Germany caused electricity cuts across parts of the country and in France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands and as far as Morocco.
