Real Madrid wins the case of “noise pollution” at the “Santiago Bernabéu”

Real Madrid announced, on Wednesday, that it had achieved a legal victory in the dispute it was facing with a local residents’ association, which had complained about “noise pollution” resulting from concerts held inside the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
The investigating judge in charge of the case had considered, in a decision issued on January 15, that there were sufficient “indicators” to classify the noise complained of as a “criminal violation.”
The judge noted that all concerts held between April 26 and September 8, 2024, including the concert of American star Taylor Swift, had “exceeded the acoustic limits” set by the city municipality.
The judicial proceedings included the Real Madrid Estadio company, which is responsible for operating the famous stadium, which underwent major upgrades in 2023 to host the most prominent international events, in addition to its director, Jose Angel Sanchez, the right arm of club president Florentino Pires.
A club statement said that the court “concluded clearly and conclusively that neither José Ángel Sanchez Berianes nor the Real Madrid Estadio company are responsible for any criminal offense related to the parties held at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.”
The club, which expressed its satisfaction with the decision, added that the court “agreed, based on the request of the two parties submitting the appeal and with the approval of the Public Prosecution, to dismiss the case and end the procedures once and for all,” stressing that the responsibility falls, according to the decision, on “the companies organizing” parties with regard to compliance with noise limits.
For its part, judicial sources in Madrid explained to Agence France-Presse that they cannot officially comment on the decision at the present time, because “all parties have not yet been officially informed of it.”
The complaining association did not issue any immediate reaction.
The Royal Club, whose stadium renovation cost is expected to exceed 1.5 billion euros, was counting on increasing its resources by hosting sporting and cultural events, taking advantage of new technologies that include giant screens, an openable roof, and a retractable floor.
But since September 2024, many of the concerts that were scheduled to be held at the Bernabeu have been moved to Atletico Madrid’s “Metropolitano” stadium, located outside the capital.