The final touches being applied to Real Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabéu stadium

The Santiago Bernabéu may look finished from the outside, but the work isn’t over yet. The core of Real Madrid’s revamped stadium is essentially complete, though the project has required constant adjustments to meet new demands. Just last summer, for example, the locker rooms were redesigned yet again—this time expanded to meet NFL standards. The upgrade paid off: the Bernabéu hosted its first American‑football game, and another matchup is already scheduled for 2026.

What’s still missing

Most of the heavy lifting is done, but several finishing touches remain. One major piece is the renovation of the stadium’s façade along Paseo de la Castellana, which will eventually serve as the entrance to a massive new atrium. On the opposite side—where the old Esquina del Bernabéu shopping center once stood—construction wrapped up long ago, giving way to lush green spaces and the Bernabéu Market, a food‑hall‑style destination that’s already drawing crowds of locals and tourists every day.

Another pending element is the stadium’s exterior lighting system, something heavily promoted back when the renovation was first announced (including those early renderings featuring Zidane’s famous volley). The lighting hasn’t debuted yet, but work continues on two fronts. First, engineers tested large‑scale projections on the façade using an external projector. More recently, crews have been installing multicolor LED strips directly into the stadium’s steel slats, allowing for dynamic light shows without relying on outside equipment.

With this setup, Real Madrid aims to join the ranks of stadiums known for turning their exteriors into nighttime spectacles. Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena pioneered the trend, famously shifting to sky‑blue lighting whenever 1860 Munich played there until 2016. Others followed—San Mamés, Atlético Madrid’s Metropolitano—but the concept has truly taken off in the United States, a market Florentino Pérez watches closely. Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium features a massive LED roof visible from planes descending into the city, while the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium uses enormous exterior screens that give it a futuristic, spaceship‑like glow.

The “Bernabéu Infinito”

At the same time, Real Madrid is working with Apple on another ambitious project: the Bernabéu Infinito. The idea is to bring the stadium experience to fans around the world through virtual reality, a vision that led the club to partner with one of Silicon Valley’s most influential tech companies.

Throughout last season, Apple employees were on site during games to run tests inside the stadium. They even experimented during press conferences, aiming to let fans experience the manager’s media sessions as if they were standing among the reporters.

The motivation is clear: the Bernabéu has become too small. With about 78,000 seats, the stadium sells out constantly—not just because of Real Madrid’s massive season‑ticket base, but also due to the flood of tourists who visit Spain’s capital and want to see a match in person.

With the Bernabéu Infinito, fans could watch games from their living rooms while feeling as if they were sitting inside the stadium itself.

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