Santiago Bernabéu seating guide
The Santiago Bernabéu is Real Madrid’s stadium, on the Paseo de la Castellana in the Chamartín district of Madrid. It opened on 14 December 1947 and was rebuilt between 2019 and 2024, when the old bowl was wrapped in a new shell and covered by a retractable roof. The map above shows the stadium as it is today: click any of its 299 sectors to see the view from that seat.
The Bernabéu at a glance
Few stadiums have hosted as many big finals. Before the rebuild it staged three European Cup finals (1957, 1969 and 1980), the 2010 Champions League final, the 1964 European Nations’ Cup final, the 1982 World Cup final and the second leg of the 2018 Copa Libertadores final. The renovation cost about €1.76 billion and changed the building more than any work before it: the stands were rebuilt, the façade is new and the roof can close over the whole stadium.
The new Bernabéu opened its doors to concerts in 2024, but in September that year the club suspended them after complaints from neighbours about noise. Football is, by a wide margin, what the stadium is used for today.
Stands and tiers
The stadium has four stands. The Lateral Oeste and Lateral Este run along the two long sides of the pitch; the Fondo Sur and Fondo Norte sit behind the goals. Each stand climbs in several tiers, from the low grada and tribuna up through four anfiteatros, the amphitheatre tiers.
On the plan, sectors are numbered in bands: a pitch-side band from 1 to 34, then the 100s, 200s, 300s and 400s, the 500s, which belong to the third amphitheatre, the 600s, the fourth, and a short band of 700s. Boxes and premium spaces use four-digit numbers. Every one of the 299 sectors has a 3D view.
Which seat to choose
For the best view of the game
The two laterals at mid-height are the classic choice: you see the whole pitch, both goals and the shape of each team. Higher amphitheatres are cheaper and steeper; they are a long way up, but nothing on the pitch is hidden from them.
For atmosphere
Real Madrid’s organised supporters stand in the Fondo Sur, so that end is where the singing comes from. Visiting fans are usually placed high in the Fondo Norte.
Close to the pitch
The lowest sectors put you right beside the touchline. The trade-off is a flatter angle: the far side of the pitch looks compressed from there. Open a low sector and a mid-height one in the same stand to see the difference before you buy.
Accessibility
The rebuilt stadium has lifts and ramps, and seats for wheelchair users with a companion place, on the main stand and in the second level of the west side. Accessible tickets are arranged through the club. For blind and partially sighted fans, audio-descriptive commentary has been offered free through a QR code, and a sensory room run with KultureCity has been used at major events. Assistance animals are allowed with notice. The Santiago Bernabéu metro station is not fully step-free; Nuevos Ministerios, about a kilometre away, is.
How to get there
The stadium has its own metro stop, Santiago Bernabéu, on Line 10, right next to the ground. Nuevos Ministerios, a short walk south along the Castellana, connects several metro lines with the Cercanías commuter trains, and many city bus routes stop around the stadium. There is no public car park at the ground, so public transport, a taxi or walking are the realistic options.
Frequently asked questions
- When did the Bernabéu open?
- On 14 December 1947. It was rebuilt between 2019 and 2024 and now has a retractable roof.
- Where do Real Madrid’s loudest fans sit?
- In the Fondo Sur, behind the south goal, where the organised home support is based.
- Where do away fans sit at the Bernabéu?
- Usually high in the Fondo Norte, in the upper amphitheatre tiers.
- Are there concerts at the Bernabéu?
- Concerts were held in 2024, after the rebuild, but the club suspended them in September that year after noise complaints from neighbours.
Seat views are interactive reconstructions of the venue. The real view can vary with the stage set-up and the exact seat, so treat them as a guide. Seat Seven is not affiliated with Santiago Bernabéu or any artist, promoter or ticket seller.