Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys

Lore & Background

Designed by an architect for the 1929 Expo, the stadium was officially opened on 20 May 1929. The opening ceremonies included Spain's first official rugby international game against Italy, and a friendly football match between the Catalan national team and Bolton Wanderers, which the Catalan team won 4–0. It was meant to host the People's Olympiad in 1936, a protest event against the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, but the event was canceled due to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.

In the fifties, the stadium was the centerpiece of the 1955 Mediterranean Games, and in 1957 it hosted the only national football cup final between Barcelona and Espanyol, the two local clubs. In the seventies, the stadium was disused and the stands deteriorated. When the Spanish Grand Prix and other races were held at the Montjuïc racing circuit, the stadium was used as a paddock for the teams. Due to safety concerns, the 1975 F1 race was nearly boycotted by drivers.

During Barcelona's bid for the 1992 Summer Olympics, the stadium was totally renovated with the involvement of Italian architect Vittorio Gregotti. The stadium was gutted, preserving parts of the original facades, and new grandstands were built. In 1989, the venue was re-inaugurated for the World Cup in Athletics, and three years later it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies and all the athletics competitions of the Olympic Games and also the same functions during the Paralympics.

The stadium served as the home of Espanyol from 1997 until 2009. It also served as the home of the Barcelona Dragons American football team from 1991 until 2002. The stadium also played host to the National Football League's American Bowl in 1993 and in 1994. In 2001, the stadium was renamed after Lluís Companys.

In 2010, the stadium hosted the 20th European Athletics Championships. For the 2023–24 and the 2024–25 seasons, the stadium served as the home ground for FC Barcelona during the redevelopment of the Camp Nou. Barcelona returned to the stadium at the start of the 2025–26 season, with the partial reopening of Camp Nou having been delayed multiple times.

Reader's Guide

The stadium is located in the Anella Olímpica on Montjuïc, a hill to the southwest of Barcelona. It has a current capacity of 55,926 seats. It was the home of Espanyol from 1997 until 2009, and served as FC Barcelona's home ground for the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons during Camp Nou redevelopment. Barcelona returned at the start of the 2025–26 season and are expected to play again at the stadium briefly at the start of the 2027–28 season while a new roof is installed at Camp Nou, with the Montjuïc stadium reserved until December 2027.

Did You Know?

• It was renamed in 2001 after Lluís Companys, the 123rd president of the Generalitat de Catalunya, who was executed at nearby Montjuïc Castle in 1940.
• The 1957 Copa del Rey final between Barcelona and Espanyol was held here.
• The stadium was used as a paddock for the Montjuïc racing circuit in the 1970s.
• Pope Leo XIV led a vigil at the stadium on 9 June 2026.