Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid

About the Santiago Bernabéu

The stadium opened in 1947 and was later named after Santiago Bernabéu, the legendary club president under whom Real Madrid became one of the most decorated clubs in the world. It has hosted Champions League, European Championship and World Cup finals, and fans from everywhere treat it as a place of pilgrimage.

The stadium was recently rebuilt from top to bottom: a retractable roof now covers the stands, and outside a skin of steel ribbons lights up at night. Inside are new stands, restaurants and a wraparound video screen. It's become a venue for concerts and events as well as football.

The stadium tour and trophy hall

The tour begins with a trip up to a panoramic deck below the roof, overlooking the whole bowl. Then comes the museum section, the trophy hall, with Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey trophies, the Ballon d'Or awards of club players and interactive screens on the club's history.

The route usually continues to the players' dressing room, the tunnel, the dugouts at pitchside and the press room. It can change on match and event days, so check what will be open on your date. It ends in the big club shop.

What to see at the Bernabéu

• The panoramic deck — the whole bowl from above.
• The trophy hall — Champions League cups and Ballon d'Or awards.
• The dressing room — the players' places.
• Pitchside and the dugouts — right by the grass.
• The press room — where coaches face reporters.
• The club shop — kits and souvenirs.

Going to a match

A match day is something special: tens of thousands of fans in white sing the club anthem, and under the closed roof the noise is louder still. La Liga kick-off times are set close to the date, so the day and time can shift.

Some tickets are sold on the club's site and some released by season-ticket holders who can't attend. Arrive an hour early, as bags are checked and huge crowds gather outside. Afterwards the metro is packed, and many people walk back along the Castellana towards the centre.

Tips for your visit

Weekday mornings without a match are quietest. If you want both a tour and a game, do them on different days, as the tour closes several hours before kick-off. Children usually love the trophies, the interactive rooms and the dressing room.

The stadium is in the business district on the Paseo de la Castellana, well away from the old centre. There are plenty of cafés and restaurants nearby where fans gather before games, and the floodlit façade is worth seeing at night even without a tour. From here the metro runs to Plaza de Castilla and the leaning Gate of Europe towers.

Even if you support another club, the tour is fascinating: a look at top-level football and one of the most modern stadiums in the world. Souvenirs in the official shop cost more than street stalls, but they're genuine.

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How to do it right

• Tour on a weekday morning.
• Buy tickets only on the official site.
• Tours are cut short on match days.
• See the lit façade at night.

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